Evidence for tip velocity oscillations in dendritic solidification.

Dendritic growth experiments were conducted in the reduced-convection environment aboard the space shuttle Columbia on STS-87. Spectral analysis was performed on 30-frame/s video data during growths of isothermal dendrites. Results indicate that pivalic acid dendrites exhibit a subtle oscillatory behavior of the axial growth velocity near the tip, with a frequency component that is associated with the sidebranch formation process.