Piccolo Chiara - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Piccolo Chiara

Acta Astronautica, 2004

This paper deals with the microgravity experiment on droplets, wetting and coalescence prevention... more This paper deals with the microgravity experiment on droplets, wetting and coalescence prevention, performed on the MAXUS 5 sounding rocket launched in April 2003 from the base ESRANGE located in Kiruna-Sweden. The aim of the experiment was to study wetting and coalescence prevention phenomena, induced by thermal Marangoni ows in drops bounded by a non isothermal immiscible liquid matrix. A failure in the on-board procedure occurred just after lift o , so the automatic experimental sequence did not start, but PI's switched to the manual mode and managed to run the experiment by telescience operative mode directly from Naples. A hemispherical drop of silicone oil was formed under microgravity conditions in a matrix of Fluorinert. The drop was anchored to a moving metallic disk (10 mm diameter) held at controlled temperature. A temperature gradient was initially established in the liquid matrix controlling the temperature of a ÿxed plate. During the experiment, a thin liquid ÿlm (about 100 m thick) could be observed at su ciently large temperature di erence between the moving drop and the ÿxed disk (wetting prevention). The decreasing of the ÿlm thickness, as expected, was detected when the thermal gradient was reduced until wetting occurred at a "critical" temperature di erence. A similar behaviour was observed during the non-coalescence study (coalescence prevention). For the di erent conditions investigated, the Marangoni ows in the meridian plane of the drop were detected by two CCD cameras (with di erent ÿelds of view) looking at the tracers particles illuminated by an orthogonal thin laser light sheet. The paper reports the preliminary results of the microgravity experiment and a number of numerical simulations aimed at explaining and correlating the experimental ÿndings.

The Selectable Optical Diagnostics Instrument (SODI) is a Class-2 Payload for scientific experime... more The Selectable Optical Diagnostics Instrument (SODI) is a Class-2 Payload for scientific experiments in the field of fluids on board the International Space Station. Being equipped with various optical diagnostics, such as Mach-Zehnder Interferometer, Particle Image Velocimetry and Near Field Scattering, this design has been expressly conceived to study several phenomena and, among them, diffusion processes and Soret effects in liquids (SODI DSC). Telespazio (located in Naples, Italy) has played the role of SODI FRC (Facility Responsible Center) and European USOC (User Support Operation Center), receiving the full range of SODI telemetry (H&S and Scientific telemetry), issuing commands to the Payload and providing console positions during on orbit active phases (07-Nov to 16-Jan-2012). The NASA interface to Telespazio Operators has been represented by the Payload Operations Integration Center (POIC) at MSFC (located in Huntsville), that also includes the MSG Ops Team (that was in charge of coordinating all MSG operations, MSG being the Class-1 facility hosting the SODI hardware and providing the required interfaces to the ISS data and power systems). In a position of FRC, Telespazio has conceived the mission scenario (Mission Operation Implementation Concept), implemented the Ground Segment and related ground data services, developed all the necessary payload products and executed the SODI DSC experiment (55 scientific runs) onboard by interacting directly with NASA on behalf of the European Space agency (ESA).

This paper reports on the results of the experiment PULSAR (Pulsating and Rotating Instabilities ... more This paper reports on the results of the experiment PULSAR (Pulsating and Rotating Instabilities in Oscillatory Marangoni Flows), performed on the MAXUS 4 sounding rocket launched in April 2001 from the Swedish base in Kiruna. Aim of the experiment was the analysis of the three-dimensional and time-dependent flow regimes arising in a liquid bridge of Silicone oil when the temperature difference between the disks is increased. Pulsating and rotating oscillatory regimes have been established during the microgravity time at different temperature differences across the liquid bridge. The oscillatoy flow has been detected by visual observation of the flow field organization (using a CCD camera and silver-coated tracers), by the behaviour of the temperatures, measured by thin thermocouples at different azimuthal coordinates, and by the evolution of the surface temperature distribution, measured by an infrared camera.

Abstract: The viscosity of Carboxy-Methyl-Cellulose solutions has been measured on macroscopic sc... more Abstract: The viscosity of Carboxy-Methyl-Cellulose solutions has been measured on macroscopic scale by rheometer and on microscopic scale by Dynamic Light Scattering by using latex particles as probes. Results suggest that different physic-chemical environments influence ...

Acta Crystallographica Section D Biological Crystallography

Several optical instruments are devoted for diagnostic in physico-chemical experiments, performed... more Several optical instruments are devoted for diagnostic in physico-chemical experiments, performed in microgravity environment. The aim of this paper is to describe a Wollaston interferometer devoted to measure the refraction index gradient of a transparent liquid media, in order to ...

Microgravity quarterly: MGQ

Crystals of the collagen-like polypeptide (PPG) 10 were obtained within the Advanced Protein Crys... more Crystals of the collagen-like polypeptide (PPG) 10 were obtained within the Advanced Protein Crystallization Facility on board the International Space Station, during the STS-105/STS-108 mission. The duration of this mission was such to ensure that the crystallization process had reached its end. Crystals were grown both in the presence and in the absence of agarose gel, to compare the quality of the crystals obtained from these different environments. As a result, crystals grown in the absence of agarose on Earth as well as in microgravity showed X-ray diffraction up to 1.15 Å. The intensity/sigma ratio was slightly higher for microgravity grown crystals. Crystals grown in agarose gel, both in microgravity and on ground, showed a comparable diffraction power, with a resolution limit of 1.45 Å.

MARS (Microgravity Advanced Research and Support) Center of Telespazio is the ESA FSL Responsible... more MARS (Microgravity Advanced Research and Support) Center of Telespazio is the ESA FSL Responsible Center, it is located in Napoli in southern part of Italy. FSL is a multi-user facility for conducting fluid physics research in microgravity conditions. It can be operated in fully-or in semi-automatic mode and can be controlled on board by the ISS astronauts, or from the ground in the so-called telescience mode. The Laboratory allows scientist to execute experiments using complex optical diagnostics and to record microgravity data for an accurate characterization of the experimental environment. In parallel the execution of experiments on class 2 payloads using the NASA ground infrastructure and processes allowed us to develop, also in this case, operation concepts with strong NASA-ESA interrelations, and with the opportunity to have a complete involvement in the payloads operations on the ISS. This paper reports on the fully implemented operational scenario starting from the Incremen...

SpaceOps 2010 Conference Delivering on the Dream Hosted by NASA Marshall Space Flight Center and Organized by AIAA, 2010

Microgravity Science and Technology, 2007

© Z-Tec Publishing, Bremen Microgravity sci. technol. XIX-3/4 The work presents experimental test... more © Z-Tec Publishing, Bremen Microgravity sci. technol. XIX-3/4 The work presents experimental tests about the performance of heat pipes filled with a"self-rewetting" fluid (alcohol aqueous solutions). Comparison with conventional commercial water heat pipes is also considered. The used fluid exhibits an anomalous increase in the surface tension with increasing temperature. Along these lines, the fluid has been investigated as a possible means to improve heat transfer inside the heat pipes with a focus, in particular, on space applications (next generation satellites). The experiments have been carried out both in normal and in lowgravity conditons (attained onboard a 'zero-g' plane, during a parabilic flight campaign). The results have confirmed improved capability of the considered heat pipes with respect to traditional heat pipes filled with water.

Physics of Fluids, 2004

Some phenomena, never observed before, concerning a system composed by two organic-liquid bicompo... more Some phenomena, never observed before, concerning a system composed by two organic-liquid bicomponent phases with a miscibility gap, used as transparent surrogates for immiscible metal alloys, are discussed and elucidated in the framework of experimental analyses and numerical simulations. It is shown that a single dissolving droplet at the bottom of a test cell behaves as an intriguing pattern-forming dynamical system leading to a wealth of different spatiotemporal modes of convection when the imposed temperature gradient is increased. The last part of the analysis is devoted to comparison with other similar phenomena (the flow instability pertaining to the Marangoni convection around bubbles surrounded by a liquid heated from above, and the case of rising buoyant jets), showing analogies and differences. Such a comparison is also used as a means to focus on the intrinsic nature of the present instability.

Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, 2002

A crystallisation process of biological macromolecules in gel-matrix was studied by Mach-Zehnder ... more A crystallisation process of biological macromolecules in gel-matrix was studied by Mach-Zehnder interferometer and the results were compared with a numerical model of periodic precipitation. This investigation is focused on the coupling between transport phenomena, nucleation and crystal growth, which may lead to non-linear behaviour.

Materials Chemistry and Physics, 2000

Preliminary data concerning the monitoring in situ of the zeolite A crystallisation from clear so... more Preliminary data concerning the monitoring in situ of the zeolite A crystallisation from clear solutions are reported. Experiments were performed at 60 and 70 • C with fresh and aged solutions having the following composition: 8.6Na 2 O·0.18SiO 2 ·Al 2 O 3 ·150H 2 O. The formation of early phases in the crystallisation process were followed using diagnostics such as dynamic light scattering (DLS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

Journal of Crystal Growth, 2003

This paper deals with experimental investigation, mathematical modelling and numerical simulation... more This paper deals with experimental investigation, mathematical modelling and numerical simulation of the crystallization processes induced by counter diffusion method of a precipitant agent in a lysozyme protein solution. Novel mathematical strategies are introduced to simulate the experiments and in particular to take into account the kinetics of the growth process and the motion of the crystals due to the combined effect of gravitational force and viscous drag if the sedimenting process is allowed (protein chamber free of gel). Comparison between experimental observations and numerical simulations in the presence of convection and sedimentation and without them provides a validation of the model. The crystal formation in gel results modulated in space. If the gel matrix is not present, convective cells arise in the protein chamber due to local inversions in the density distribution associated to nucleation phenomena. As time passes, these vortex cells migrate towards the top of the protein chamber exhibiting a different wave number according to the distance from the gel interface. The sedimentating particles produce a wake due to depletion of protein from the surrounding liquid. The models and the experiments may represent a useful methodology for the determination of the parameters and conditions that may lead to protein crystallization. r

Journal of Crystal Growth, 2001

Crystals of polypeptide with sequence (Pro-Pro-Gly) 10 were grown in the Advanced Protein Crystal... more Crystals of polypeptide with sequence (Pro-Pro-Gly) 10 were grown in the Advanced Protein Crystallization Facility during the US Space Shuttle STS-95 Mission. Well diffracting crystals were obtained by dialysis; they provided the highest resolution X-ray data so far collected for a collagen-like triple helical structure (Berisio et al., Acta Crystallogr. D 56 . During the Mission the crystal growth was monitored by a CCD video camera. The image analysis provided information on spatial distribution of crystals, their movements and their growth. The spatial distribution was non-uniform inside the reactors. Limited motions were observed. The linear growth rate indicates that, in some cases, the growth did not cease in the microgravity environment. r

European Polymer Journal, 2005

The behavior of latex particles in carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) solutions with different probe ra... more The behavior of latex particles in carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) solutions with different probe radii and solution concentrations is investigated. The diffusion processes of probe particles are studied by means of dynamic light scattering experiments. The existence of two diffusion ...