The mass loss rate on aluminum foils due to vibratory cavitation in water and NaCl-water solutions and the sonoluminescence emission intensity have been measured for different values of the hydrostatic pressure ranging from 1Êatm to about 12Êatm. The specimen, an aluminum foil 13Êmm thick, has been subjected to the action of a 24.1ÊkHz ultrasonic field. Varying the pressure amplitude through the adjustment of the transducer vibration amplitude, the incipient thresholds for the onset of both phenomena have been measured. The results indicate that by increasing the hydrostatic pressure both the mass loss rate and the sonoluminescence intensity pass through a maximum value several times greater than the value obtained at atmospheric pressure and then quickly decreases to zero.The marked correlation between the thresholds of the two phenomena and between their intensities confirms the possibility of using sonoluminescence as a monitor of erosion.
