Within the HUNOR program, physicists from Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) and engineers from SGF Ltd. are preparing a pioneering fluid dynamics experiment called DiRoS (Differential Rotation on a Sphere) with the assistance of Hungarian research astronaut Tibor Kapu aboard the International Space Station.
The experiment focuses on shear instabilities forming on the surface of a tennis-ball-sized rotating water droplet in microgravity. By analyzing these processes, researchers aim to better understand the atmospheric dynamics of gas giants such as Saturn, Jupiter, and Neptune, where differential rotation produces large-scale patterns like Saturn’s iconic hexagonal cyclone.
The project was developed by the Kármán Environmental Flow Laboratory at ELTE’s Institute of Physics and Astronomy, led by Associate Professor Miklós Vincze, in collaboration with SGF Ltd., headed by engineer Pál Gábor Vizi. The DiRoS platform enables astronauts to rotate spherical water droplets and record the resulting particle movements, providing valuable data on atmospheric circulation in both extraterrestrial and terrestrial contexts.
This marks the first time such a process will be studied in microgravity, representing a major step in planetary science and fluid dynamics research.
Source: Eötvös Loránd University
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