When bubbles bounce or stick

Bubble collisions with solid surfaces are critical in both natural and industrial contexts, ranging from gas absorption in bioreactors to marine aerosol production. Despite their ubiquity, the physical criteria underlying bounce dynamics remain unresolved. Here, through experiments and simulations, we map the phase diagram of rising bubbles impacting a wall in Galilei (Ga)–Bond (Bo) space, revealing four dynamic regimes: fully bouncing, underdamped non-bouncing, overdamped non-bouncing, and breakup. We find that bouncing is governed jointly by Ga and Bo, while underdamped dynamics depend solely on Ga. The initial rise distance modulates regime transitions only when shorter than five bubble radii, whereas longer rise distances in high Ga and Bo regions promote bubble breakup and suppress bouncing. We develop a unifying double-mass-spring-damper model, quantitatively matching the complete rebound and damped adhesion regimes, and explain bouncing suppression in microgravity and low-viscosity fluids via energy dissipation analysis. Our work provides a unified framework that clarifies the governing mechanisms of bubble-impact dynamics, offering design principles for applications in chemical engineering, biomedicine, and environmental flows. © The Author(s) 2026.