Solidification furnace for in situ observation of bulk transparent systems and image analysis methods.

This paper aims to describe the experimental framework of the Directional Solidification Insert, installed onboard the International Space Station, dedicated to the in situ and real-time characterization of the dynamic selection of the solid-liquid interface morphology in bulk samples of transparent materials under diffusive growth conditions. The in situ observation of the solid-liquid interface is an invaluable tool for gaining knowledge on the time evolution of the interface pattern because the initial morphological instability evolves nonlinearly and undergoes a reorganization process. The result of each experiment, characterized by the sample concentration, a thermal gradient, and a pulling rate, is a large number of images.