Abstract

The collapse of a single cavitation bubble is a fundamental hydrodynamic event in which pressure work is concentrated into rapid liquid motion, compression of the bubble contents, shock emission, jet formation, rebound, heat transfer, and phase change. This article reviews the principal collapse phenomena, the governing theoretical models, and the thermodynamic mechanisms that modify bubble dynamics. Classical Rayleigh and Rayleigh Plesset formulations establish the inertial collapse scale, whereas Keller Miksis, Gilmore, and Prosperetti Lezzi equations account for liquid compressibility with increasing physical detail. Boundary integral formulations and compressible multiphase computational fluid dynamics extend the analysis to nonspherical collapse, jet penetration, topology change, and local wall loading. Particular attention is given to thermodynamic feedback caused by evaporation, condensation, latent heat exchange, and temperature dependent saturation pressure. Experimental observations in water, aqueous ammonia, and liquid nitrogen demonstrate that increased vapor content and finite rate phase change can increase minimum bubble radius, reduce collapse velocity, weaken shock and jet intensity, and alter rebound and stability. The analysis emphasizes that model selection must be tied to the required observable and that validation against radius history alone is insufficient when energy partition, peak pressure, interfacial temperature, or material loading is of interest.