TomoCold : Study of snow microstructures by X-ray tomography in a cold room

Labex OSUG laboratories or/and Labex OSUG teams involved : IGE, IRSTEA, CEN
Project leader : Maurine Montagnat

Résumé

Snow, an evolving porous material, is described by a three-dimensional arrangement of air and oriented ice crystals. This microstructure depends on the deposition conditions (T, wind ...) and evolves over time, sometimes with very fast kinetics, by metamorphism and compaction of the snowpack. X-ray tomography, which offers a three-dimensional image with a resolution of a few microns, is essential to get a characterization adapted to different domains (metamorphism, thermal, mechanical and electromagnetic properties). The goal of this project is to provide OSUG’s "Neige" community with a cold room tomograph. This tool is essential to extend the observations to statistical characterizations and to in-situ experiments (mechanical, thermal ...) that can not be carried out in the constrained environment of cold cells, and which are necessary to constrain the physical modelings.

Support (2017) : 79 000 €

Updated on 26 juillet 2018