Ice Crystal Growth Experiments Conducted in the Kibo of International Space Station

Yoshinori FURUKAWA; Ken NAGASHIMA; Etsuro YOKOYAMA; Shunichi NAKATSUBO; Salvador ZEPEDA; Izumi YOSHIZAKI; Haruka TAMARU; Taro SHIMAOKA; Takehiko SONE; Takao MAKI; Asuka YAMAMOTO; Toshiyuki TOMOBE; Ken-ichiro MURATA; Gen SAZAKI

doi:10.15011/ijmsa.38.1.380101

Yoshinori FURUKAWA , Ken NAGASHIMA, Etsuro YOKOYAMA, Shunichi NAKATSUBO, Salvador ZEPEDA, Izumi YOSHIZAKI, Haruka TAMARU, Taro SHIMAOKA, Takehiko SONE, Takao MAKI, Asuka YAMAMOTO, Toshiyuki TOMOBE, Ken-ichiro MURATA, Gen SAZAKI

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Yoshinori FURUKAWA Corresponding author
e-Rad Researcher Number: 20113623
Institute of Low Temperature Science, Hokkaido University
Ken NAGASHIMA
Institute of Low Temperature Science, Hokkaido University
Etsuro YOKOYAMA
Computer Centre, Gakushuin University
Shunichi NAKATSUBO
Salvador ZEPEDA
Institute of Low Temperature Science, Hokkaido University
Izumi YOSHIZAKI
Tsukuba Space Center, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
Haruka TAMARU
Tsukuba Space Center, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
Taro SHIMAOKA
Japan Space Forum
Takehiko SONE
Japan Manned Space Systems Corporation
Takao MAKI
Olympus Corporation Ishikawa Facility
Asuka YAMAMOTO
Olympus Corporation Ishikawa Facility
Toshiyuki TOMOBE
IHI Aerospace Co., Ltd.
Ken-ichiro MURATA
Institute of Low Temperature Science, Hokkaido University
Gen SAZAKI
Institute of Low Temperature Science, Hokkaido University

Keywords: Ice crystal, Microgravity, International Space Station, Crystal growth, Supercooled water, Antifreeze glycoprotein, Pattern formation, Impurity effect, Growth oscillation, Growth enhancement

JOURNAL OPEN ACCESS
Supplementary material

2021 Volume 38 Issue 1 Pages 380101-

DOI https://doi.org/10.15011/ijmsa.38.1.380101

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Abstract

Microgravity experiments on ice crystal growth in supercooled water without any effect of convection flow were carried out twice in Kibo of the International Space Station as projects called “Ice Crystal 1” and “Ice Crystal 2”. Many video movies recording the growth process of a single ice crystal were analyzed to clarify the pattern formation processes of single ice crystals and the impurity effect on ice crystal growth kinetics. In the Ice Crystal 1 project, ice crystals were grown in supercooled pure D2O and the pattern formation mechanism for the ice crystal was clarified on the basis of crystal plane-dependent growth kinetics between the basal face and the other crystallographic faces. In the Ice Crystal 2 project, ice crystals were grown in supercooled H2O containing a small amount of an antifreeze glycoprotein as an impurity. Growth enhancement and oscillation for the basal faces were observed for the first time, and their mechanisms were clarified on the basis of the crystal plane-dependent impurity effect of an antifreeze glycoprotein. The origin of the antifreeze function of antifreeze glycoproteins was ultimately explained in connection with the basic criterion for the pattern formation of a polyhedral crystal.

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