title: Real-time optical system for observing crystallization in levitated silicate melt droplets.
abstract: In this study, a real-time optical system was developed to observe crystallization in a small spherical melt droplet (few millimeters in diameter) by containerless processing. This system can be used to simultaneously observe the inside and the surface of a transparent melt droplet, as well as its ambient gas atmosphere at high temperatures. A silicate melt with a diameter of approximately 2 mm and a composition of MgO:SiO(2)=48:52 was levitated using a gas-jet levitation system, and its crystallization process was successfully observed from 2385 K in real time with good contrast using the developed optical setup.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-5210, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Inatomi
authors.forename: Atul
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Srivastava
authors.forename: Hisao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Satoh
authors.forename: Takao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Maki
authors.forename: Katsuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsukamoto