Experiment

MEIS Series3 Begins

* All times are Japan Standard Time (JST)

Chaos, Turbulence and its Transition Process in Marangoni Convection (Marangoni Exp/MEIS)* Series3, which uses the Fluid Physics Experiment Facility (FPEF) in Kibo, began.

* Principal Investigator (PI): Koichi Nishino, Professor, Yokohama National University

The MEIS Series3 began on board Kibo following checkout of the experiment facility from the Tsukuba Space Center (TKSC).

JAXA's Marangoni convection experiment investigates the surface flow rate, temperature distributions, and change in internal flow of a large liquid bridge made of silicon oil in space.

The MEIS Series1 consists of five experiment sessions. Both the MEIS Series1 and Series2 were already completed. The Series1 focused mainly on the flow inside a silicon oil liquid bridge formed in space. The Series2 measured the change of flow patterns and flow rate by quantitative measurement.

The Series3 will see effect of liquid viscosity on flow patterns in a 5cm diameter liquid bridge.

The Series3 will continue until the middle of January, 2011.

Special Message from Principal Investigator (PI)

The MEIS Series3 uses silicon oil with kinematic viscosity 20cSt.

Kinematic viscosity of the silicon oil used this time is four times higher than that of the silicon oil used in the Series1 and Series2. The Series3 investigates effects of the viscosity on the flow pattern. The Series3 will also try to clarify the characteristics of Marangoni convection in a large liquid bridge by examining its heating speed, hysteresis heating and form of the liquid bridge to clarify the characteristics of Marangoni convection.

Liquid Bridge

Chaos, Turbulence and its Transition Process in Marangoni Convection (Marangoni Exp/MEIS)

*All times are Japan Standard Time (JST)