Stable cavitation is associated with microbubbles expanding and collapsing in a manner that absorbs energy without violent collapse.

• A. Stable Cavitation
• B. Transient Cavitation
• C. Nuclear Cavitation
• D. Thermal Cavitation

Answer: (A)

Cavitation types in ultrasound revolve around how microbubbles respond to the pressure cycles. In stable cavitation, microbubbles pulsate in size with the acoustic field—expanding during the rarefaction phase and contracting during compression—without undergoing a violent collapse. This oscillation absorbs energy from the ultrasound but stays within a non-destructive range, so you don’t see the violent collapse that other cavitation types produce. That gentle, energy-absorbing oscillation is what defines stable cavitation and distinguishes it from inertial (transient) cavitation, which involves rapid growth and a violent collapse with shock waves. The other terms don’t describe this sustained, nonviolent oscillation behavior, so they don’t fit the scenario as well.