Under weightlessness conditions, the phase transition of fluids is driven only by slow capillary flows. We investigate the effect of high-frequency vibrations to reproduce some features of gravity effects and show that such vibrations can greatly modify the phase transition kinetics. The investigation is performed in ${\mathrm{H}}_2$ near its critical point (critical temperature 33 K) where critical slowing down enables the phase transition process to be carefully studied. Gravity effects are compensated in a strong magnetic field gradient.

• Received 7 January 2004

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.95.034502