Under appropriate conditions the interaction between volcanic magma and surface water is explosive; however, volcanologists lack a fundamental understanding about the prerequisite phase mingling. To study this problem, investigators are performing sophisticated experiments that simultaneously employ particle image velocimetry (PIV) and laser induced fluorescence (LIF). Mingling mechanisms will be determined by superposing phase boundaries (from LIF) with velocity fields (from PIV) under varying flow conditions and geometries. LIF and PIV images are captured on separate cameras focused on a single image plane with the aid of a beam splitter and optical filters. The research is a collaborative effort administered by Dr. Peter Friedman a mechanical engineering professor at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and Dr. Steve Carey, a volcanologist at the University of Rhode Island. The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth is a state university with a young but promising graduate education program serving the ethnically diverse communities of Southeastern Massachusetts. The research has potential cross-disciplinary applications including nuclear safety, metal processing, and cryogenic cooling of superconductors.
