Crystal Purification in 0g Environment: ESA Parabolic Flight Experiment

1. PURE – crystal purification in 0g Crystal purification experiment in 0 g environment during the ESA’s annual student parabolic flight campaign

2. Overview • Zero g • Parabolic flights • The pure experiment • Bordeaux September 5 – 15 • Dates & useful link • Thanks to the sponsors ZeroG Parabolic Flight Experiment Bordeaux 06 Conclusion

3. ZeroG • 0 G means no gravitational force is applied on the body and the weight of the body becomes 0. • Because of the General Theory of Relativity, this can be reached by a free falling object • > Parabolic trajectory ZeroG Parabolic Flight Experiment Bordeaux 06 Conclusion

4. Parabolic Flight • The plane follows a parabolic trajectoire • Zero G during 18-23 sec • Pull-out/injection 1g -> 2g -> 0g -> 2g -> 1g ZeroG Parabolic Flight Experiment Bordeaux 06 Conclusion

5. PURE Experiment • The Team • Prof. D. Pavuna • advisor • Nicolai Chapochnikov • Mark Ambühl • Alexei Altoukhov • Alexandre de oliveira • The Idea -Zone Refining ZeroG Parabolic Flight Experiment Bordeaux 06 Conclusion

6. Zone refining • Move crystal impurities using a temperature gradient • > crystal purification ZeroG Parabolic Flight Experiment Bordeaux 06 Conclusion

7. Why 0 g • When a crystal is in 0 g, the atoms feel no gravitational constrains : • the impurities should move easier than in 1 g • there is no thermal convection effects → Better purification ZeroG Parabolic Flight Experiment Bordeaux 06 Conclusion

8. The set up • Setting of the experiment [video] ZeroG Parabolic Flight Experiment Bordeaux 06 Conclusion

9. Nothing is easy • Constraints • Oven in the plane • Sample at the melting point • Overall protection • We want fun • [picture of the experiment with all the features] ZeroG Parabolic Flight Experiment Bordeaux 06 Conclusion

10. Going to Bordeaux • Finish working @EPFL at 6 in the morning • Loading the van • Arriving in Bordeaux the 1 September • 10 hours of road • Ready to work… ZeroG Parabolic Flight Experiment Bordeaux 06 Conclusion

11. The workshop • Big white tent [picture] • Multicultural teams: • Norwegian, Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, Belgium, French, Hungarian, … • Multi-Faculty : physics, biology, … • Noises, drills and sugus • Last minutes tuning • Great expectations! ZeroG Parabolic Flight Experiment Bordeaux 06 Conclusion

12. Flights • 2 sessions: • 6 Sept. : Alexei + Nicolai flew from Brussels to Bordeaux • All successful manipulations • Time to adapt • [video] • 7 Sept. : Mark + Alex flew from Bordeaux to Bordeaux (sic!) • Only 17 parabolas • All successful manipulations • [video] ZeroG Parabolic Flight Experiment Bordeaux 06 Conclusion

13. Feedback • Unpacking the experiment • Writing first result report + report for ESA • Interviews • Contacts • …all the best the French team ZeroG Parabolic Flight Experiment Bordeaux 06 Conclusion

14. Conclusion • Wonderful experience • Unforgettable sensations • Meeting people • Lots of work • …the future : astronaut! ZeroG Parabolic Flight Experiment Bordeaux 06 Conclusion

15. Thank you sponsors! ZeroG Parabolic Flight Experiment Bordeaux 06 Conclusion

16. Dates • End Novembre : comparaison of the results • End March 2007 : report finished • From April: dissemination of our results ZeroG Parabolic Flight Experiment Bordeaux 06 Conclusion

17. Contacts • PURE : http://pure.epfl.ch • ESA : http://www.esa.int/esaED/SEMFSU1A6BD_index_0.html • EPFL : www.epfl.ch • SPACE CENTER : http://space.epfl.ch/page57186.html • FSB : http://sb.epfl.ch/en • IPMC : http://ipmc.epfl.ch/ • POSEIDON : http://poseidon.epfl.ch ZeroG Parabolic Flight Experiment Bordeaux 06 Conclusion

18. Flights – session1 ZeroG Parabolic Flight Experiment Bordeaux 06 Conclusion <- back

19. Flights – session2 ZeroG Parabolic Flight Experiment Bordeaux 06 Conclusion <- back

20. The set up ZeroG Parabolic Flight Experiment Bordeaux 06 Conclusion <- back