Experiments to study the compression and unstable evolution of an isolated soap-film bubble containing helium, subjected to a strong planar shock wave ($M=2.95$) in ambient nitrogen, have been performed in a vertical shock tube of square internal cross section using planar laser diagnostics. The early phase of the interaction process is dominated by the formation of a primary vortex ring due to the baroclinic source of vorticity deposited during the shock-bubble interaction, and the mass transfer from the body of the bubble to the vortex ring. The late time (long after shock interaction) study reveals the presence of a secondary baroclinic source of vorticity at high Mach number which is responsible for the formation of counterrotating secondary and tertiary vortex rings and the subsequent larger rate of elongation of the bubble.

• Received 7 September 2006

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.98.024502