Floating zone stability

The present state of de preparation of an experiment on floating liquid zones to be performed in the first Spacelab flight is presented. In this experiment,a liquid bridge is to be placed between two parallel coaxial disks (in the Fluid Physics Module)and subjected to very precise disturbances in order to check the theoretical predictions about its stability limits and behavior under mechanical inputs: stretching of the zone, filling or removing the liquid,axial vibration, rotation, disalignment, etc. Several aspects of the research are introduced:1) Relevance of the study. 2) Theoretical predictions of the liquid behavior regarding the floating-zone stability limits and the expected response to vibrational and rotational disturbances. 3) Ground support experiments using the Plateau technique or the small scale simulation. 4) Instrumental aspects of the experimentation: the Fluid Physics Module utilization and post-flight data analysis.5)Research program for future flights.

Numerical models for coastal zone management

The basic equations for modelling two-dimensional hydrodynamics and transport in estuaries and coastal regions have been developed. By using the finite element method, it is possible to transform the model into a discretized counterpart. The model has been applied in order to study the dispersion of an effluent within the Bay of Santander. The results obtained by means of a computer program are discussed.