An antibubble is an uncommon fluid object with a unique structure: a liquid globule is wrapped by a thin air film, with the whole being immersed in a liquid bath. In short, the antibubble is the opposite of a soap bubble. The antibubble has been regarded as a promising candidate for various industrial applications since two components can be separated only by an air layer before mixing. However, the use of the antibubble is limited by the short lifetime $(\approx 1 \min )$ and the broad distribution of the lifetimes. We demonstrate a simple and efficient method to extend the lifetime of the antibubbles. The proposed system consists of a liquid surface covered by a layer of bubbles under which antibubbles are generated. The liquid is then vertically shaken. Above a given acceleration threshold that depends on the frequency, the lifetime of the antibubbles is significantly increased. Under vibrations, antibubbles were kept alive up to 13 h. As soon as the vibration is stopped, the antibubble collapses immediately. The antibubble popping can therefore be programmed. A model based on the dynamical air drainage in the air shell of the antibubble is proposed to account for these observations.

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• Drop & bubble phenomena
• Microfluidics
• Surface gravity waves
• Surface tension effects
• Thin fluid films