Abstract
The aero-acoustic levitator combines aerodynamic and acoustic forces to achieve stable levitation and precise positioning of samples. The levitation force is primarily aerodynamic and is stabilized by the smaller acoustic forces to obtain precise control of the position of levitated solid and liquid samples. Laser beam heating and melting become possible to allow liquid phase processing and property measurement experiments under containerless conditions at very high temperatures. A wide range of glass and molten ceramic materials have been investigated. In this paper we discuss the design and operation of the aero-acoustic levitator with examples from experiments on liquid phase processing of oxide glasses and ceramics. The method enables valuable earth -based experiments in support of microgravity research.
