Motivation: Colloidal Assembly Provides The Capability For Scalable Manufacturing Of Structured Materials And Devices For Traditional And Emerging Industries. Although Equilibrium Structures And Thermodynamics Of Colloids Exposed To A Field Have Been Well

MOTIVATION: COLLOIDAL ASSEMBLY PROVIDES THE CAPABILITY FOR SCALABLE MANUFACTURING OF STRUCTURED MATERIALS AND DEVICES FOR TRADITIONAL AND EMERGING INDUSTRIES. ALTHOUGH EQUILIBRIUM STRUCTURES AND THERMODYNAMICS OF COLLOIDS EXPOSED TO A FIELD HAVE BEEN WELL STUDIED, THE USE OF ELECTRICALLY ASSISTED ASSEMBLY IS LIMITED BY A LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF THE ROLE OF TIME AND SPATIALLY VARYING FIELDS IN DIRECTING AND CONTROLLING NON-EQUILIBRIUM PROCESSES. MICROGRAVITY OFFERS AN OPPORTUNITY TO STUDY FIELD-DRIVEN PHENOMENA ON NON-BUOYANCY MATCHED COLLOIDS BY REMOVING MASKING GRAVITY EFFECTS, SUCH AS PARTICLE SEDIMENTATION, CONVECTION AND JAMMING. OBJECTIVES: DESIGN AND CONDUCT MICROGRAVITY TESTS IN THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION ADVANCED COLLOIDS EXPERIMENT FACILITY IN LONG TIMESCALES TO ELUCIDATE FUNDAMENTAL MICROSCOPIC MECHANISMS OF NON-EQUILIBRIUM PHENOMENA UNDERLYING THE FIELD-ASSISTED ASSEMBLY OF INTERACTING COLLOIDAL PARTICLES AND SUGGEST NOVEL ROUTES FOR CREATING FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS. THE EMPHASIS WILL BE ON THE FIELD-DRIVEN EVOLUTION OF THE MESOSCALE PHASE TRANSITIONS, ELECTRO-HYDRODYNAMIC INSTABILITIES AND NUCLEATION AND GROWTH OF CRYSTALLINE STRUCTURES. THE PHENOMENA SELECTED ARE LOGICAL CANDIDATES TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF MICROGRAVITY BECAUSE TERRESTRIAL OBSERVATIONS HAVE FAILED TO PROVIDE A COMPREHENSIVE PHYSICAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE UNDERLYING PHYSICS.