炉内炉子上方的视图显示了Fraunhofer ISC产生的玻璃珠，并用于空间研究中的实验。学分：Fraunhofer ISC
How are asteroids and planets formed from stony particles? This question is being explored in an experiment by scientists from the universities of Münster and Braunschweig. For the investigation, Fraunhofer researchers have developed beads made of a special type of glass. They form the composition of the rock particles as naturally as possible on a small scale.
The earth is 4.57 billion years old – an unimaginable temporal dimension. To understand how the blue planet was first formed long ago, scientists today are analyzing other rock bodies from our solar system, such as fragments of asteroids that have arrived on Earth as meteorites after collisions in space.
根据当前的知识，许多行星体是通过软骨的合并形成的，它们是硅酸盐的beads宽约0.1至3毫米。但是，这种宇宙岩层过程如何工作？这就是来自穆斯特大学威廉大学和布劳恩斯奇威格技术大学行星学研究所的科学家正在研究独特的实验。他们得到了Würzburg的Fraunhofer硅酸盐研究所ISC的研究人员的支持。科学家开发了一个特别的玻璃为项目和形成小珠from it to represent the chondrules as realistically as possible.
Special melting and crystallization behavior
Previous findings indicate that the original particles had the consistency of hot, liquid glass before they aggregated into larger conglomerates of rock, cooled down and crystallized. “This glass is very different from thematerial composition我们通常正在使用的技术眼镜。玻璃的化学组成决定了某些物理特性，例如熔化和结晶行为。两者在大型岩体的发展过程中起着核心作用。Kilo博士说：“这就是为什么我们事先使用建模程序来计算所需组合物占上风的熔融条件，玻璃颗粒的稳定性以及它们结晶的温度和形式。”另一个挑战是使玻璃颗粒的球形形状。为此，专家使用两个不同的程序。
In the first approach, rough glass gravel is prepared, sifted to the right size and then rounded out by thermal treatment. The second solution is to cut glass plates into small cubes and to grind them mechanically – very similar to the marble production.
For the experiment, the researchers from Würzburg produced several versions of their beads, each of which differs slightly in material composition. These beads were first heated in special melting units in which the temperature and atmosphere can be adjusted precisely. Those beads which had characteristics closest to the theoretical model after this test melting were selected for the project.
Experiments in the drop tower
The research team from the Universities of Münster and Braunschweig now uses the cosmic玻璃beads从Bremen的应用太空技术和微重力中心（ZARM）的实验中的ISC：在那里操作的滴塔围绕着一个120米高的钢制滴管管，并保留了高空量。通过弹射系统，将玻璃珠子放到滴管尖端的胶囊中。结果，达到了大约9.5秒的失重 - 与空间相同的条件。在此期间，将玻璃珠加热至1100°C。
During the dropping procedure, the beads can collide and form larger clusters. The experts record the collision behavior with high-speed cameras that colleagues at the TU Braunschweig assess. “Our colleagues from Münster then investigate how the beads merge, whether the clusters are composed of a homogeneous composition or whether the form of the individual beads is still recognizable, and whether and to what extent crystallization results,” Dr. Kilo explains. In the next step, the planetologists will compare the results with observations of meteorites to then draw conclusions about the validity of their theoretical models.
Filed Under:航空航天 +防御
