Technical Research on ISS Russian Segment
F/PKE Experiment
"F/PKE" experiment is incorporated into the French research program ANDROMEDA,
which is a constituent part of the "Program for implementation of scientific and application research planned for the third
manned expedition ISS-3". CNES is a customer for preparing and carrying out the program of scientific and engineering experiments
during the French astronaut mission to ISS RS.
Objective:
A study of growth of plasma-dust structures in zero gravity.
A study of particle clouds behavior and internal flow structure in plasma-dust crystals.
Task:
Conducting two series of measurements that are needed to study the physics of the particles contained in
low-pressure plasma, and to study quasi-stable plasma structures formed out of these particles.
Equipment Used:
- Experimental unit "Plasma crystal 3";
- two TEAC video tape recorders, included in the on-board "Telescience" equipment.
Expected Results:
- Video recording of plasma crystal formation process;
- digital data on the experiment parameters (gas pressure, high-frequency radiated power, the size
of dust particles from which the crystal is formed) written to PCMCIA card.