VISCOSITY OF EUTECTIC PD(78)CU6SI(16) MEASURED BY THE OSCILLATING DROP TECHNIQUE IN MICROGRAVITY

During the STS-83 Spacelab mission, a sample of Pd78Cu6Si16 was proces sed in the electromagnetic levitation facility TEMPUS. Surface oscilla tions of the levitated liquid droplet were excited, and frequency and damping of the oscillations were observed. Under microgravity conditio ns, the damping constant is simply related to the viscosity. This meth od was successfully applied. The experiments were performed in a tempe rature range of 400 K, including the eutectic temperature T-e = 1033 K . At this temperature, our data agree well with those of S. K. Lee, K. H. Tsang. and H. W. Kui [J. Appl. Phys. 70, 4842 (1991)]. (C) 1998 Am erican Institute of Physics.