A.G. Murphy

TL;DR: In this article, the effect of buoyancy on grain motion, nucleation density, and average grain size was investigated in situ with laboratory-based radiography, where the ability to align the X-ray beam axis both perpendicular and parallel to the gravity vector provided limited control over buoyant grain motion normally associated with terrestrial solidification.

TL;DR: In this paper, thin Al-Cu hypoeutectic alloys were mounted in a Bridgman furnace and solidified near isothermally from above the liquidus to below the eUTectic temperature.

TL;DR: In this article, a facility was designed and developed to investigate directional solidification on metallic alloys in microgravity conditions with in situ X-ray radiography observation, which was used to validate the experimental results.

TL;DR: In this paper, a novel isothermal solidification furnace (XRMON-SOL) has been developed for operation under terrestrial and microgravity conditions, using aluminium-based alloys, in conjunction with real-time in situ X-radiography.

TL;DR: For the first time, isothermal equiaxed solidification of a metallic alloy has been observed in situ in space, providing unique benchmark experimental data as discussed by the authors, where the experiment was completed on board the MASER 13 sounding rocket, launched in December 2015, using a newly developed isothermal solidification furnace.