Aggregated CSS/JS file names, when regenerated?
You're looking for drupal_build_css_cache &amp; drupal_build_js_cache. The building happens when the file doesn't exist or when the combination of files used in the aggregate is different than before.

Looking at drupal_clear_css_cache &amp; drupal_clear_js_cache the variable gets removed &amp; any file older than 30 days gets deleted. By removing the variable, drupal will then check to see if the contents of the file has changed, if yes a new aggregate will be built. So the file name is built by using a hash of the files content and the quick lookup is built by a hash of the file names used.

If you want something that's a little smarter than core, doesn't cause a stamped of writes to the variables table on a cache clear, and keeps files around based upon usage instead of a 30 day window give Advanced CSS/JS Aggregation a try.