Abstract
The history of study on electromagnetic levitation under microgravity is described. Joining the TEMPUS symposium in DLR in December 1988, the Japanese science community was fascinated by the potential of an electromagnetic levitation technique for thermophysical property measurement for metallic melts not only under microgravity but also on earth. The first levitation experiment of molten silicon was successfully attempted on board the KC-135 under the NASA-MIT-DLR-NEC collaboration in May 1994. In terrestrial experiments surface tension and density of molten silicon were measured. The SEMITHERM program was proposed by European and Japanese scientists. This application stimulated further development of thermophysical property measurement techniques. Thermal conductivity of molten metals were successfully measured by superimposing a strong static magnetic filed. Also a technique for measurement of oxygen partial pressure dependence of surface tension was developed. The THERMOLAB-ISS and OXYTHERM were proposed to ESA under international collaboration of scientists.
