Free surfaces and interdiffusion coefficient measurements in space using shear cells : Gravity orientation effects

A recent computational methodology is applied here in order to analyze the impact of the solutal Marangoni convection on the measurements of the interdiffusion coefficients at high temperature in shear cells. Bulk solutal convection, generated by a reduced gravity field following three different orientations against the free surface, is simultaneously considered. The accuracy of the diffusion coefficients depends on the intensity of the Marangoni convection and on the extension of the free surfaces. Nevertheless, a dependence on the orientation of the bulk convection is also predicted here indicating a weak convective coupling under the present conditions.