Abstract
In response to the European Space Agency announcement for proposals for research in physical sciences on sounding rockets and the International Space Station (AO-2009 PHYS-BIOSR), an international team was assembled to investigate the influence of convection on phase selection during rapid solidification of commercially important peritectic alloys. Ground-based experiments and modeling activities culminate in experiments which are to be run in microgravity using the MSL-EML facility. Electromagnetic levitation is used to melt reactive metal samples in a containerless manner while imposing varied conditions of induced convection within the molten droplets. Metastable-tostable phase transformations will be monitored using pyrometry and high speed digital video leading to the development of new solidification models to allow better microstructural control during processing on earth.
