High Altitude
Weightless and Gravitational Separation: Further Investigation into
Gravitational Affects on Fluidized Particle Sorting |
Have you ever taken a few
moments to look up into the night sky? Beyond what is visible to the naked
eye is a vast myriad of meteoroids, asteroids and comets. What are they like?
What would we see if we were to upon them? How can this knowledge be used to
our benefit? Current theory suggests some may have a surface of loose, metal
rich soil. This soil bed has surely undergone sorting over its lifetime.
Meteorite samples show the particles sorted into distinct strata. If this
were to happen via gas flow to the surface, the sorting would depend on gas
velocity and the bodyıs gravity. This type of behavior was simulated in our
previous experiment, where different ratios of sand and iron particles were
tested to determine the nature of particle separation by size and density via
fluidization. However, velocity was arbitrarily chosen and remained constant,
therefore further analysis is required. Our experiment will examine how air
velocity affects the behavior of one pre-determined common ratio of
silicate/metal particles in microgravity. A simple system allows air to flow
from a tank to two Plexiglas cylinders containing equal amounts of the
sand/iron mixture. Manipulation of the airflow will be our primary
responsibility. During the last 10 parabolas, projectiles will be launched into
the bed to simulate impacts in hopes of describing features discovered during
the NEAR-Shoemaker touchdown. Data analysis will consist of qualitative
observation of the experiment and quantitative analysis of separation using
imaging software on our stored data. Understanding the formation has many
potential applications in mining of valuable materials from asteroids and
dead comets in addition to future colonization endeavors. Fluidization
research may enable prediction of where metals are within the crusts of
planetary bodies, allowing reliable prospecting and faster, less costly
extraction. Future colonization of the moon or Mars may depend on our ability
to efficiently locate and extract valuable resources from the surface. |
James Czaplinsky
Ryan Godsey
Michael Myers
Amber Straughn (nee Holley)
Melissa Franzen
Shauntae Moore
Melissa Franzen
Paul Benoit
Derek Sears
Kelly Beaty
July 2001
Benoit
P.H., Franzen M., Czlapinski J., Godsey R.D., Meyer M.C., Straughn A., and
Sears D.W.G. (2002) Metal-silicate fractionation in chondritic meteorites: Experiments under microgravity conditions.
33rd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, Houston, TX, Abstract
#1633, Lunar and Planetary Institute (CD-ROM).
Sears
D.W.G., Moore S.R., Nichols S., Kareev M., Benoit P.H. (2002) Intuition and experience: Asteroid surfaces, meteorites and planetary
geosciences in microgravity. Bull. Amer. Astron. Soc. 33, 1054.
Moore,
S. R.; Franzen, M.; Benoit, P. H.; Sears, D. W. G.; Holley, A.; Meyers, M.;
Godsey, R.; Czlapinski, J. (2003) The
Origin of Chondrites: Metal-Silicate Separation Experiments Under Microgravity
Conditions. 34th Lunar and Planetary
Science Conference, Houston, TX, Abstract #1046, Lunar and Planetary Institute
(CD-ROM).
Moore S. R., Franzen M., Benoit P. H., Sears D. W. G., Holley A., Myers M., Godsey R., and Czlapinsky J. (2003) The origin of chondrites: Metal-silicate separation experiments under microgravity conditions - II. Geophys. Res. Lett. 30, Issue 10, pp. 29-1, Cite ID 1522, DOI 10.1029/2002GL016860.