NASA 1996 SBIR Phase I

PROJECT TITLE : Nonintrusive Quantitative Measurement of Velocity Fields in Microgravity Environments

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)

NASA has identified a need for nonintrusive measurements capable of obtaining quantitative velocity data in fluid systems under the influence of microgravity. This proposal offers an innovative technique based on the use of caged dye, Photo-Activated Fluorophore (PAF) molecular tracers. PAF's are nominally fluorescent dyes which have been rendered nonfluorescent by strategic attachment of a chemical caging group. The chemical group is photolytically cleaved upon absorption of ultraviolet light. After photolysis, the fluorescent dye can be tracked, indefinitely, using ordinary sheet imaging approaches.

The emphasis of Phase I will be to develop and characterize new PAF probes, optimized for microgravity and combustion studies, and to demonstrate their utility by performing quantitative internal velocity measurements in sub-millimeter size droplets.

The commercial potential for large-scale synthesis of PAF probes is significant, due to thier utility in a wide range of fluid flow disciplines such as fuel atomization, microgravity crystal growth, and submarine acoustic signature reduction. A further potential is the widespread application of PAF's to biomedical research, which is a market presently served by Molecular Probes.

Dr. Kyle R. Gee
Principal Scientist/Group Leader
Molecular Probes, Inc.
4849 Pitchford Ave.
Eugene, OR 97402

Molecular Probes, Inc.
4849 Pitchford Ave.
Eugene, OR 97402