skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Critical dynamics in microgravity

Abstract

Although many well-controlled experiments have been conducted to measure the static properties of systems near criticality, few experiments have explored the transport properties in systems driven very far away from equilibrium as the transition occurs. Here we propose to measure the thermal gradient across the superfluid (HeII)-normal fluid (HeI) interface in microgravity conditions as a function of the heat flux Q used to make the measurements. Microgravity conditions are required (1) to avoid the hydrostatic pressure variation along the height of the helium column (a concern for Q<0.1 {mu}W {center_dot}cm {sup {minus}2}), (2) avoid convection in He-I for Q> 3 {mu}W {center_dot}cm{sup {minus}2} in our apparatus, and (3) to increase the Q=O interfacial width from its value of a few tens of microns on Earth to about a millimeter in orbit. New technologies described in this paper are under development for this experiment, which is in definition for Space Shuttle flight.

Authors:
; ; ;  [1]
  1. Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM (United States); and others
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Albuquerque, NM, and Livermore, CA (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
471828
DOE Contract Number:  
AC04-76DP00789
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
International Journal of Thermophysics
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 17; Journal Issue: 3; Other Information: PBD: May 1996
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
66 PHYSICS; 44 INSTRUMENTATION, INCLUDING NUCLEAR AND PARTICLE DETECTORS; HELIUM II; THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY; INTERFACES; MEASURING METHODS; HELIUM I; TEMPERATURE GRADIENTS; SUPERFLUIDITY; LAMBDA POINT; GRAVITATION; SUPERCONDUCTING DEVICES; PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS

Citation Formats

Duncan, R, Boyd, S, Akau, R, and Gianoulakis, S. Critical dynamics in microgravity. United States: N. p., 1996. Web. doi:10.1007/BF01441509.
Duncan, R, Boyd, S, Akau, R, & Gianoulakis, S. Critical dynamics in microgravity. United States. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01441509
Duncan, R, Boyd, S, Akau, R, and Gianoulakis, S. 1996. "Critical dynamics in microgravity". United States. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01441509.
@article{osti_471828,
title = {Critical dynamics in microgravity},
author = {Duncan, R and Boyd, S and Akau, R and Gianoulakis, S},
abstractNote = {Although many well-controlled experiments have been conducted to measure the static properties of systems near criticality, few experiments have explored the transport properties in systems driven very far away from equilibrium as the transition occurs. Here we propose to measure the thermal gradient across the superfluid (HeII)-normal fluid (HeI) interface in microgravity conditions as a function of the heat flux Q used to make the measurements. Microgravity conditions are required (1) to avoid the hydrostatic pressure variation along the height of the helium column (a concern for Q<0.1 {mu}W {center_dot}cm {sup {minus}2}), (2) avoid convection in He-I for Q> 3 {mu}W {center_dot}cm{sup {minus}2} in our apparatus, and (3) to increase the Q=O interfacial width from its value of a few tens of microns on Earth to about a millimeter in orbit. New technologies described in this paper are under development for this experiment, which is in definition for Space Shuttle flight.},
doi = {10.1007/BF01441509},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/471828}, journal = {International Journal of Thermophysics},
number = 3,
volume = 17,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1996},
month = {Wed May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1996}
}