Computational_Chem

After ten years of waiting scientist Rohit Trivedi is sending his creation into space. What was at first just a research proposal in 1998, Trivedi’s crystal growth experiment is finally becoming a reality. In 1998 the scientist was given two million dollars by NASA, and later selected along with five other projects that would be used in actual flights. Since then, the scientist has been finalizing experiments and working on different theories that will be proven in the future. Equipment, which is actually a mini laboratory, whose other name, is “Device for the Study of Critical Liquids and Crystallization, or DECLIC for short has been delivered to the International Space Station by Discovery, the most current space shuttle. This equipment will allow Trivedi and his research group here on earth to study and control crystal growth pattern experiments. But why conduct the experiments in space' The idea is to use the microgravity environment in space to see how materials from crystals while moving from a liquid to solid state, and the effects of variations of growth conditions during the crystallization process. The crystallization process plays a huge role in determining the properties of a solidified material. But as specific growth patterns appear, small affects in the crystalline formation can influence the pattern. Here on Earth, those small effects are easily gone unnoticed, but the goal is by conducting the experiment in low gravity, the natural convections will be erased, and it will be easier to see the small effects. DECLIC’s first set of experiments began when it was put on the internet in October and it will continue to run through February 2010. The scientist and his team are viewing a video of the material as it solidifies on high definition monitor in the lab. By viewing the video they can see everything clearly and if something out of the ordinary happens the team can re-conduct the experiment, and if nothing happens at all the team can alter the conditions and move on.