Opportunities for Academic Research in a Low-Gravity Environment

A period of rapid advance in science or engineering tends to follow the development of a new theory or a new experimental method. For example, development of the wave theory of light led to a new understanding of the elemental composition of the universe, development of the optical microscope led to a new understanding of the mechanisms that cause disease, and development of the technique of gene splicing is leading to a new understanding of the functions and mechanisms of DNA. New experimental methods include not only procedures but also new environments in which research can be conducted. Space is such an environment.

To explore the opportunities for research in a low-gravity environment, the National Science Foundation (NSF) conducted a one-and-one-half-day workshop entitled Opportunities for Academic Research in a Low-Gravity Environment held in Washington, DC in July 1985. It consisted of a series of formal presentations on eight topics followed by a panel discussion on the policy implications of the identified research opportunities. The papers prepared for this workshop are the basis of this book. Topics: Infrastructures for Low-Gravity Research, Critical Phenomena, Gravitation, Crystal Growth, Metals and Alloys, Containerless Processing, Combustion, and Fluid Dynamics.