Shockwave animation using particles

Hi,

I was wondering if I could possibly be helped on a shockwave animation. I have a piece of equipment underwater which sets off a soundwave below. I would like a sound wave to come off using particles (I need particles because I have them bouncing off the seafloor when the camera zooms out so an ever expanding torus won’t do). The equipment used we call guns and is shown belowe. So the order:

  1. Gun fires sending off this shockwave
  2. Smoke animation is used to simulate the bubbles and fine mist
  3. Camera zooms out and sees sound wave bouncing off seafloor.


I’ve made a ring which emits particles in what I consider a satisfactory “Shock” ring…


but my problem I guess is the shader and the volumetrics involved. When the particles are close together the volumetrics makes them appear black. So I’ve had to had an emission which isn’t the worst I guess but I still can’t eliminate the black and it also makes the individual particles more apparent and less smoke like…


I guess an example of what I’m trying to achieve is the upper ring in this animation but slightly more transparent

Any help is much appreciated