Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Microgravity Studies Of Aggregation In Particulate Clouds, Todd B. Sauke, J. R. Marshall, J. N. Cuzzi

Todd B. Sauke

Aggregation in clouds of submillimeter quartz and volcanic ash particles was studied in microgravity. Particle clouds generated by pulses of air immediately formed electrostatic filamentary aggregates upon cessation of air turbulence. Manual agitation of experiment chambers produced cm-size loose grain clusters which voraciously scavenged free-floating material in their vicinity. A dipole model accounts for these observations. Experimental results have ramifications for the behavior of natural cloud systems and primary accretion of solids in the early solar nebula.