Cryogenic design of the liquid helium experiment ``critical dynamics in microgravity``

Conference · Sun Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1995

OSTI ID:108205

Moeur, W A ^[1]; Adriaans, M J; Boyd, S T ^[2]; Strayer, D M ^[3]; Duncan, R V ^[1]

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1. New Mexico Univ., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
2. Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
3. Jet Propulsion Lab., Pasadena, CA (United States)

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 far away from equilibrium as a phase transition occurs. The cryogenic design of an experiment to study the dynamic aspect of critical phenomena is reported here. Measurements of the thermal gradient across the superfluid (He II) -- normal fluid (He I) interface in helium under microgravity conditions will be performed as a heat flux holds the system away from equilibrium. New technologies are under development for this experiment, which is in the definition phase for a space shuttle flight.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-94AL85000
• OSTI ID: 108205
• Report Number(s): SAND--95-1385C; CONF-9507176--1; ON: DE96000785
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

66 PHYSICS
CRYOGENICS
EXPERIMENT PLANNING
HELIUM 4
HELIUM I
HELIUM II
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
SUPERFLUIDITY
TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT
WEIGHTLESSNESS