MISTE flight experiment status

Abstract

The MISTE flight experiment has made significant scientific and technical progress in preparing for a future microgravity flight. We are collaborating with several theoretical modeling groups that have developed crossover (equation-of-state) models for predicting thermodynamic behavior near the liquid-gas critical point. Several of these models have already been used to test experimental measurements of the heat capacity at constant volume, isothermal susceptibility, and coexistence curve in the crossover region near the 3He liquid-gas critical point. A brief description of these models and a representative fit to experimental data will be presented. In collaboration with Mission Research Corporation, MISTE has been testing a new small pneumatic valve for use at low temperatures. The results of recent successful low temperature actuation tests will also be discussed.