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Physics of Fluids in Microgravity
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Adv. Space Res. Vol. 30, No. 4, pp. 1059-1061,2002 © 2002Published by Elsevier Science Ltd on behalfof COSPAR Printed in Great Britain 0273-1177/02 $22.00+ 0.00 PII: S0273-1177(02)00223-5
Pergamon
www.elsevier.com/locate/asr
BOOK REVIEW Physics of Fluids in Mierogravity Edited by R. Monti Earth Space Institute Book Series Volume 7 Taylor & Francis, 2001, London and New York ISBN 0-415-27581-4 £110 (Stirling); $80.00 (US Dollars); $120 (Canadian Dollars) What is this book about? Microgravity - as encountered in parabolic flight, in drop shafts, during the ballistic phase of a sounding rocket and in a satellite or spacecraft orbiting the earth - is the term used for conditions where the normal Earth's gravity go = 9.81 rn/s2 is significantly reduced. The gravity vector ~ 0 is acting in each point on Earth, is acting on each volume element, is acting on each body, part of the body or part of the fluid. On Earth this influences e.g. the shape of the free surface of fluids and is the cause of natural (buoyant) convection which each of us is familiar with. We use these effects of go on the Earth and sometimes we try to overcome them in important industrial processes or measuring procedures. The effects of go can be so strong in some processes as to mask the effects of other phenomena of interest. Reducing go to 105 go or 106g0 in a microgravity experiment simplifies the fluid physics of a system and allows experiments, processes and measurements not possible on Earth.
Why is this book interesting? It is the project of this book to introduce the reader to the field just outlined, which has now roughly 30 years of active history - not taking into account the even older classical field of sloshing motion of fuel in tanks of spacecrafts and rockets. The book is more interesting than its title because it treats mainly the application of fluid physics and fluid physics under microgravity to various fields of physics and engineering, the application to complex processes as e.g. the growth of macromolecular crystals for X-ray and neutron defraction studies. Many well-known international experts, linking their field of application ~, i~h that of fluid physics, have contributed to the book. This makes it interesting for the applied fluid physicist to learn about the applications, and all other applied scientists and engineers, physicists, chemical engineers, biologists etc. to learn about the "new dimension" of fluid physics in microgravity and in their respective discipline. I059
1060
Book Review
The contents
The reader interested in the basics of microgravity experimentation and some technical aspects finds an introduction in fluid flow and fluid physics phenomena with special relevance under microgravity and typical microgravity environment (Chapter 1), the sensitivity of experiments to prevailing accelerations on microgravity platforms (Chapter 15) and the facilities for fluid science research on board the ISS (Chapter 16). The rest of the total of 16 chapters is devoted to various scientific fields of a wide variety. Beside the science - mostly with a long history under normal gravity on Earth - the chapters give a summary with respect to the microgravity relevance, status of the field and earlier experiences, open questions and an outlook and extensive references. The scientifically oriented chapters are: 1. Mechanical behaviour of liquid bridges in microgravity 2. Inteffacial phenomena 3. Thermal Marangoni flows 4. Inteffacial patterns and waves 5. Fluid mechanics of bubbles and drops 6. Diffusion and thermodiffusion in microgravity 7. Critical and supercritical fluids and related phenomena 8. Microgravity two-phase flow and heat transfer 9. Transient and sloshing motion in an unsupported container 10. Pool boiling and bubble dynamics under microgravity 11. Combustion phenomena at microgravity 12. Fluid flow and solute segregation in crystal growth from the melt 13. Fluid flows and macromolecular crystal growth in microgravity To my taste the following chapters are highlights of this book: Chapter 5 about inteffacial patterns and waves is scientifically oriented. Though written by theoretical physicists it may be highly predictive for future microgravity experimenters. Chapter 7 about diffusion and thermodiffusion is really going into the field as well as into its microgravity relevance and the literature. Chapter 8 and Chapter 11 about critical and supercritical fluids (8) and pool boiling (11) show the richness which microgravity brings to these fields. Chapter 14 about macromolecular crystal growth gives a short but precise introduction to this rather new and complex topic without exaggerating the possibilities under microgravity.
Book Review
1061
What is missing in this book?
A Chapter about chemical reactions and/or polymerisation. Evaporation and condensation, dust agglomeration, granular matter and maybe other equally important fields are missing. It would have been wise to include more experts from the US and Russia. Chapter 1 does not contain the references to older books and articles about physics of fluids in microgravity. Chapter 4 about thermal Marangoni flows contains no list of past microgravity experiments in contrast to most other chapters, though many have been done. The microgravity relevance is not really treated in Chapter 3.
Conclusion
A timely book which brought together the knowledge of some very experienced scientists from the field of microgravity research. It is indispensable to have a look into it if you are interested in this field, if you want to join it, if you are working in it. But it may also stimulate the ideas of researchers not interested in or working under microgravity at all; it reveals the sometimes hidden part gravity plays in their phenomena, processes and experiments.
Dietrich Schwabe 1. Physics Institute Justus-Liebig-Universit~it Giessen Germany
Adv. Space Res. Vol. 30, No. 4, pp. 1059-1061,2002 © 2002Published by Elsevier Science Ltd on behalfof COSPAR Printed in Great Britain 0273-1177/02 $22.00+ 0.00 PII: S0273-1177(02)00223-5
Pergamon
www.elsevier.com/locate/asr
BOOK REVIEW Physics of Fluids in Mierogravity Edited by R. Monti Earth Space Institute Book Series Volume 7 Taylor & Francis, 2001, London and New York ISBN 0-415-27581-4 £110 (Stirling); $80.00 (US Dollars); $120 (Canadian Dollars) What is this book about? Microgravity - as encountered in parabolic flight, in drop shafts, during the ballistic phase of a sounding rocket and in a satellite or spacecraft orbiting the earth - is the term used for conditions where the normal Earth's gravity go = 9.81 rn/s2 is significantly reduced. The gravity vector ~ 0 is acting in each point on Earth, is acting on each volume element, is acting on each body, part of the body or part of the fluid. On Earth this influences e.g. the shape of the free surface of fluids and is the cause of natural (buoyant) convection which each of us is familiar with. We use these effects of go on the Earth and sometimes we try to overcome them in important industrial processes or measuring procedures. The effects of go can be so strong in some processes as to mask the effects of other phenomena of interest. Reducing go to 105 go or 106g0 in a microgravity experiment simplifies the fluid physics of a system and allows experiments, processes and measurements not possible on Earth.
Why is this book interesting? It is the project of this book to introduce the reader to the field just outlined, which has now roughly 30 years of active history - not taking into account the even older classical field of sloshing motion of fuel in tanks of spacecrafts and rockets. The book is more interesting than its title because it treats mainly the application of fluid physics and fluid physics under microgravity to various fields of physics and engineering, the application to complex processes as e.g. the growth of macromolecular crystals for X-ray and neutron defraction studies. Many well-known international experts, linking their field of application ~, i~h that of fluid physics, have contributed to the book. This makes it interesting for the applied fluid physicist to learn about the applications, and all other applied scientists and engineers, physicists, chemical engineers, biologists etc. to learn about the "new dimension" of fluid physics in microgravity and in their respective discipline. I059
1060
Book Review
The contents
The reader interested in the basics of microgravity experimentation and some technical aspects finds an introduction in fluid flow and fluid physics phenomena with special relevance under microgravity and typical microgravity environment (Chapter 1), the sensitivity of experiments to prevailing accelerations on microgravity platforms (Chapter 15) and the facilities for fluid science research on board the ISS (Chapter 16). The rest of the total of 16 chapters is devoted to various scientific fields of a wide variety. Beside the science - mostly with a long history under normal gravity on Earth - the chapters give a summary with respect to the microgravity relevance, status of the field and earlier experiences, open questions and an outlook and extensive references. The scientifically oriented chapters are: 1. Mechanical behaviour of liquid bridges in microgravity 2. Inteffacial phenomena 3. Thermal Marangoni flows 4. Inteffacial patterns and waves 5. Fluid mechanics of bubbles and drops 6. Diffusion and thermodiffusion in microgravity 7. Critical and supercritical fluids and related phenomena 8. Microgravity two-phase flow and heat transfer 9. Transient and sloshing motion in an unsupported container 10. Pool boiling and bubble dynamics under microgravity 11. Combustion phenomena at microgravity 12. Fluid flow and solute segregation in crystal growth from the melt 13. Fluid flows and macromolecular crystal growth in microgravity To my taste the following chapters are highlights of this book: Chapter 5 about inteffacial patterns and waves is scientifically oriented. Though written by theoretical physicists it may be highly predictive for future microgravity experimenters. Chapter 7 about diffusion and thermodiffusion is really going into the field as well as into its microgravity relevance and the literature. Chapter 8 and Chapter 11 about critical and supercritical fluids (8) and pool boiling (11) show the richness which microgravity brings to these fields. Chapter 14 about macromolecular crystal growth gives a short but precise introduction to this rather new and complex topic without exaggerating the possibilities under microgravity.
Book Review
1061
What is missing in this book?
A Chapter about chemical reactions and/or polymerisation. Evaporation and condensation, dust agglomeration, granular matter and maybe other equally important fields are missing. It would have been wise to include more experts from the US and Russia. Chapter 1 does not contain the references to older books and articles about physics of fluids in microgravity. Chapter 4 about thermal Marangoni flows contains no list of past microgravity experiments in contrast to most other chapters, though many have been done. The microgravity relevance is not really treated in Chapter 3.
Conclusion
A timely book which brought together the knowledge of some very experienced scientists from the field of microgravity research. It is indispensable to have a look into it if you are interested in this field, if you want to join it, if you are working in it. But it may also stimulate the ideas of researchers not interested in or working under microgravity at all; it reveals the sometimes hidden part gravity plays in their phenomena, processes and experiments.
Dietrich Schwabe 1. Physics Institute Justus-Liebig-Universit~it Giessen Germany