Do we have consensus, then, that the sparkles in the IR thermography might go back to hot spots and possibly micro-explosions, even if we are predisposed to different explanations for the source?
If you are in touch with Sandström, I would be interested in his impression of the cauliflower photo. If you do reach out to him, point out the 70 um diameter. You might or might not want to go to the effort, which is fine.