OBSERVATIONS OF SUSPENSION AND LEVITATION EFFECTS OF BULK HIGH-T(C) SUPERCONDUCTORS IN MICROGRAVITY EXPERIMENTS

We were successful in observing suspension and levitation effects of b ulk high-T(c) superconductors (HTSCS) with a permanent magnet in micro gravity experiments. Different results from experiments on Earth have been observed for a sintered Y-Ba-Cu-0 sample levitated above a ring s hape magnet. However, a melt processed sample showed no difference in suspended and levitated positions both on Earth and in microgravity. T he different motions between sintered and melt processed HTSCs in micr ogravity can be explained by the difference in magnitude of the pinnin g force. It is shown that melt processed HTSCs for applications of sus pension and levitation effects can be employed in space as on Earth.