Experiment

Marangoni UVP/MaranGogniat-2 Begins

* All times are Japan Standard Time (JST)

Spatio-temporal Flow Structure in Marangoni Convection (Marangoni UVP/MaranGogniat)^*1) Series 2, which uses the Fluid Physics Experiment Facility (FPEF) in Kibo, began.

*1) Principal Investigator: Shinichi Yoda, Professor, Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS)

The Marangoni UVP/MaranGogniat-2 began at 6:12 a.m. on February 1, 2011 after checkout of the FPEF was performed 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.

Marangoni UVP/MaranGogniat measures internal flow rate and surface temperature changes in the liquid bridge with the Ultrasonic Velocity Profiler (UVP) that uses Doppler effect in ultrasound images.

In the Series2, tries to make a 5cm-diameter liquid bridge, which is the same target size as in the Series1 performed from the end of January through the middle of July 2010. The Series2 uses silicon oil with different viscosity (higher viscosity). The experiment will continue until the end of August 2011.

Chaos, Turbulence and its Transition Process in Marangoni Convection (Marangoni Exp/MEIS)^*2), the Theme1 of Marangoni convection experiment, has also been performed on board Kibo, and the Theme3, Experimental Assessment of Dynamic Surface Deformation Effects in Transition to Oscillatory Thermo capillary Flow in Liquid Bridge of High Prandtl Number Fluid (Dynamic Surf)^*3) is also scheduled to be performed using the FPEF.

*2) Principal Investigator (PI): Koichi Nishino, Professor of Yokohama National University
*3) Principal Investigator (PI): Yasuhiro Kamotani, Professor of Case Western Reserve University

JAXA Marangoni Experiment

*All times are Japan Standard Time (JST)