Professor Roy’s main area of research is physical acoustics, which is the study of the generation, propagation, and detection of acoustic waves as well as the interactions of sound with matter. Of particular interest is acoustic cavitation and bubble dynamics, especially problems related to sonoluminescence (light from sound), sonochemistry, and the inception and detection of inertial cavitation activity. He is active in the fields of Medical Ultrasonics and Bioacoustics, particularly studies relating to the role played by bubbles and cavitation microstreaming in diagnostic and high-intensity therapeutic ultrasound. Bubble-related underwater and ocean acoustics have been long-standing areas of interest, particularly in the study of ocean ambient noise mechanisms, near-surface scattering from bubble clouds, and the acoustics of ship wakes. Fluid mechanics (two-phase flows), nonlinear acoustics, acousto-optics, and high-power industrial acoustics are all areas of past and present activity.

Selected Publications

• Lai, P., McLaughlan, J.R., Draudt, A.B., Murray, T.W., Cleveland, R.O. and Roy, R.A., “Real time monitoring of high intensity focused ultrasound lesion formation using acousto-optic sensing”, Ultrasound Med. & Biol. 2, 239-252, 2011.
• McLaughlan, J., Roy, R.A., Ju, H., and Murray, T.W., “Ultrasonic enhancement of photoacoustic emissions by nanoparticle-targeted cavitation,” Optics Lett. 35(13), 2127-2129, 2010.
• Soltani, A., Singhal, R., Obtera, M., Roy, R.A., Clark, W.M., and Hansmann, D.R., “Potentiating intra-arterial sonothrombolysis for acute ischemic stroke by the addition of the ultrasound contrast agents (Optison™ & SonoVue^®),” J. Thrombosis & Thrombolysis DOI:10.1007/s11239-010-0483-3, 2010.
• Chitnis, P.V., Manzi, N.J., Cleveland, Roy, R.A., and Holt, R.G., “Mitigation of damage to solid surfaces from the collapse of cavitation bubble clouds” J. Fluids Eng. 132(5), doi:10.1115/1.4001552, pg. 151303 1-6, 2010.
• Manzi, N.J., Chitnis, P.V., Holt, R.G., Roy, R.A., Cleveland, R.O., Reimer, B., and Wendel, M., “Detecting cavitation in mercury exposed to a high-energy pulsed proton beam,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 127(4), 2231-2239, 2010.
• Waters, Z.J., Holt, R.G., Dzikowicz, B.R. and Roy, R.A., “Sensing a buried resonant target by single-channel time reversal,” IEEE UFFC 56(7), pp 1429-1441, 2009.
• Farny, C., Holt, R.G. and Roy, R.A., “Temporal and spatial detection of HIFU-induced inertial cavitation and boiling with a diagnostic ultrasound system,” Ultrasound in Med. and Biol. 35(4), 603-615, 2009.
• Coussios, C.C. and Roy, R.A.,  “Applications of Acoustics and Cavitation to Non-invasive Therapy and Drug Delivery,” Annual Review of Fluid Mechanics 40, 395-420, 2008 (invited).
• Bossy, E., Sui, L., Murrray, T.W., and Roy, R.A., “Fusion of conventional ultrasound imaging and acousto-optical sensing (AOS) using a standard pulsed ultrasound scanner,” Optics Lett. 30(7), 744-746, 2005.
• Wilson, P.S., Roy, R.A., and Carey, W.M., “An improved water-filled impedance tube,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 113, 3245-3252, 2003.
• Holt, R.G. and Roy, R.A., “Measurements of bubble-enhanced heating from focused, MHz-frequency ultrasound in a tissue-mimicking material,” Ultrasound Med. Biol. 27, 1399-1412, 2001.
• Matula, T.J., Roy, R.A. Mourad, P.D., McNamara W.B., and Suslick, K.D., “Comparison of multi-bubble and single-bubble sonoluminescence,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 75, 2602-2605, 1995.
• Crum L.A. and Roy, R.A., “Sonoluminescence,” Science 226, 233-234, 1994 (invited).
• Roy, R.A., Carey, W.M., Nicholas, M., and Crum, L.A., “Low-frequency scattering from resonant bubble clouds,” Proceedings 14th ICA Vol. 2, C3-5, 1992.
• Gaitan, D.F., Crum, L.A., Church, C.C., and Roy, R.A., “Sonoluminescence and bubble dynamics for a single, stable, cavitation bubble,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 91(6), 3166-3183, 1992.
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