Abstract: A liquid atomizing method and apparatus in which atomization is achieved through acceleration of a primary air flow injected through an upstream throat (58t) into a diverging passage (61) between the upstream throat (58t) and a downstream throat (68) to create shock waves in the air flow which impact a wall surface adjacent and generally opposed to a confined liquid column to create sonic and/or ultrasonic vibrations which are directed into the confined liquid column to cause the column to fracture into tiny droplets of a narrow size range below 50 microns in diameter. One or more auxiliary air flows may be injected through other upstream throats (60t) into the diverging passage (61) in the flow direction of the primary air flow downstream of the first throat to supply energy to the boundary layer and to enhance acceleration of the primary jet through entrainment. The effective cross-sectional flow area of the downstream throat (68) is between 1.25 and 1.