Heat flow and convection demonstration (Apollo 14)

Apollo 14 Astronaut Stuart A. Roosa conducted a group of experiments during the lunar flyback on February 7, 1971, to obtain information on heat flow and convection in gases and liquids in an environment of less than 0.000001 g. Flow observations and thermal data have shown that: (1) as expected, there are convective motions caused by surface tension gradients in a plane liquid layer with a free upper surface; (2) heat flow in enclosed liquids and gases occurs mainly by diffusive heat conduction; and (3) some convective processes, whose characteristics are not fully known, add to the heat transfer. The raw data are presented, and the analysis approach is given.