Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 2, 2026

Thermocapillary Convection Space Experiment on the SJ-10 Recoverable Satellite
Published on: March 11, 2020
Experimental evidence of thermal vibrational convection in a nonuniformly heated fluid in a reduced gravity
A Mialdun1, I I Ryzhkov, D E Melnikov
1Microgravity Research Center, Université Libre de Bruxelles, CP-165/62, Avenue F.D. Roosevelt, 50, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium.
Abstract:
We report experimental evidence of convection caused by translational vibration of nonuniformly heated fluid in low gravity. The theory of vibrational convection in weightlessness is well developed but direct experimental proof has been missing. An innovative point of the experiment is the observation of a temperature field in the front and side views of the cubic cell. In addition, particle tracing is employed. The evolution of this field is studied systematically in a wide range of frequencies and amplitudes. The flow structures reported in previous numerical studies are confirmed. The transition from four-vortex flow to the pattern with three vortices is observed in the transient state.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Temperature and Thermal Equilibrium
The concept of temperature has evolved from the common concepts of hot and cold. The scientific definition of temperature explains more than just our sense of hot and cold. Temperature is operationally defined as the quantity measured with a thermometer. Furthermore, temperature is...
Mechanisms of Heat Transfer II
Mechanisms of Heat Transfer I
Accelerating Fluids
The motion of the liquid within this infinitesimal cylinder is considered to obtain the pressure difference. Three vertical forces act on this liquid:
Pressure Variation in a Fluid at Rest
When measuring pressure at two different levels within the fluid, the difference in pressure...
Mechanisms of Heat Transfer
Conduction, accounting for approximately 3% of body heat loss at rest, is the process of exchanging heat between molecules of two materials in direct contact. This can result in both heat loss and gain. For instance, when the body is submerged in water, which conducts heat 20 times more effectively than air, it can either lose or gain significant heat.

