Publications related to Weightlessness

Microgravity induces overconfidence in perceptual decision-making

Leyla Loued-Khenissi, Davide Scaramuzza, Christian Pfeiffer

Does gravity affect decision-making? This question comes into sharp focus as plans for interplanetary human space missions solidify. In the framework of Bayesian brain theories, gravity encapsulates a strong prior, anchoring agents to a reference frame via ...

Nature Portfolio2023

Biomechanics at the workplace under hypogravity conditions

Tatiana Maillard

The main goal of my research is to establish guidelines for workplace design based on human biomechanics: specifically sitting workplaces and handling areas in 1/6G-1/3G (Moon, Mars) conditions. Such a workplace could be used in long-term space missions in ...

EPFL2022

Performance and Micro-Vibrations in Magnetic Bearings for Space Actuators

Guzmán Borque Gallego

The development of new space missions with novel high-performance and very sensitive payloads for Earth observation or scientific missions has imposed considerably tougher requirements in terms of the satellite's pointing accuracy and stability, and thus o ...

EPFL2021

Surface tension and viscosity of liquid Pd43Cu27Ni10P20 measured in a levitation device under microgravity

Roland Logé, Antonia Neels, Alex Dommann

Here we present measurements of surface tension and viscosity of the bulk glass-forming alloy Pd43Cu27Ni10P20 performed during containerless processing under reduced gravity. We applied the oscillating drop method in an electromagnetic levitation facility ...

Springer2019

Gravity-Independent Oscillate Boiling

Mohamed Farhat, Outi Supponen

Heat transfer in nucleate boiling relies on the detachment and rise of the boiling bubble, in which gravity plays the dominant role. Previous studies showed that in the absence of gravity, the bubble fails to rise, causing the dryout of the heater and sign ...

SPRINGER2019

Experimental results of gravity currents travelling over a fissured bed

Anton Schleiss, Mário Jorge Rodrigues Pereira Da Franca, Sara Venuleo

Gravity currents are geophysical flows having large impact on human life and on the environment. The need to prevent and mitigate their negative consequences justifies the multitude of studies carried out to understand their physics. However little has bee ...

2019

Erythrocyte's aging in microgravity highlights how environmental stimuli shape metabolism and morphology

Giovanni Dietler, Giovanni Longo

The determination of the function of cells in zero-gravity conditions is a subject of interest in many different research fields. Due to their metabolic unicity, the characterization of the behaviour of erythrocytes maintained in prolonged microgravity con ...

Nature Research2018

Virtual Zero Gravity Impact on Internal Gravity Model

Ronan Boulic, Bruno Herbelin, Elisa Canzoneri

This project investigates the impact of a virtual zero gravity experience on the human gravity model. In the planned experiment, subjects are immersed with HMD and full body motion capture in a virtual world exhibiting either normal gravity or the apparent ...

Ieee Computer Soc2017

Multisensory interactions in peripersonal space and their contributions to bodily self-consciousness

Petr Grivaz

What is the relevance of the body and body-transformed sensory information for subjective experience? In the last two decades, paradigms from cognitive neuroscience have demonstrated that the subjective sensations of possessing a body (body ownership, BO), ...

EPFL2017

Contained density currents with high volume of release

Mário Jorge Rodrigues Pereira Da Franca, Quentin Theiler

Contained density currents with high volume of release reflect against the boundaries of the reception environment commonly leading to oscillatory flow. These flows exist in sediment clarifiers, compromising their operations, and deposited signatures of co ...

Wiley-Blackwell2016

The effect of pressure gradient on the collapse of cavitation bubbles in normal and reduced gravity

Marc Tinguely

When water flows through hydraulic turbomachines, the local pressure can become low enough to vaporize the water and create vapor cavities. This phenomenon is called cavitation. When the cavities collapse, shock waves and liquid jets traveling through the ...

EPFL2013

Dynamics of the head of gravity currents

Mário Jorge Rodrigues Pereira Da Franca, Helena Isabel Dos Santos Nogueira, Claudia Adduce

The present work experimentally investigates the dynamics of unsteady gravity currents produced by lock-release of a saline mixture into a fresh water tank. Seven different experimental runs were performed by varying the density of the salinemixture in the ...

Springer Verlag2013

Enhanced robustness digital holographic microscopy for demanding environment of space biology

Christian Depeursinge, Jonas Kühn, Muhammed Fatih Toy, Marcel Egli, Stéphane Richard

We describe an optimized digital holographic microscopy system (DHM) suitable for high-resolution visualization of living cells under conditions of altered macroscopic mechanical forces such as those that arise from changes in gravitational force. Experime ...

2012

Brain-Computer Interfaces for Space Applications

José del Rocio Millán Ruiz

Recent experiments have shown the possibility to use the brain electrical activity to directly control the movement of robots. Such a kind of brain–computer interface is a natural way to augment human capabilities by providing a new interaction link with t ...

Springer Verlag2011

Techniques for generating centimetric drops in microgravity and application to cavitation studies

Mohamed Farhat, Nicolas Dorsaz, Danail Obreschkow, Philipp Kobel, Aurèle De Bosset

This paper describes the techniques and physical parameters used to produce stable centimetric water drops in microgravity, and to study single cavitation bubbles inside such drops (Parabolic Flight Campaigns, European Space Agency ESA). While the main sci ...

2009

Validation of Brain-Machine Interfaces during Parabolic Flight

José del Rocio Millán Ruiz

Here we report on a validation study on brain–machine interfaces (BMIs) performed during the December 2007 ESA parabolic flight campaign. We investigated the feasibility of using BMIs for space applications by performing tests in microgravity. Brain signal ...

Elsevier2009

Measurements and Modeling of variable gravity effects on water distribution and flow in unsaturated porous media

Dani Or

Liquid behavior under reduced gravity conditions is of considerable interest for various components of life-support systems required for manned space missions. High costs and limited opportunities for spaceflight experiments hinder advances in reliable des ...

2007

On the Dynamic of Cavitation Bubbles and Their Interaction with Solid and Free Surfaces

Mohamed Farhat

The cavitation phenomenon, which is due to a pressure drop in liquid flows, may be responsible of noise and vibration as well as efficiency alteration and material erosion. A tremendous work has been already performed to better understand the onset and dev ...

2006