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Flames and water in microgravity

In microgravity, hot gases do not rise by buoyancy, so many low-momentum diffusion flames become rounded or nearly spherical; ventilation and combustion conditions still affect their shape. Free water droplets also tend toward spheres because of surface tension, but they are not necessarily “perfect” or always freely floating—contact with surfaces and fluid motion change their shape. The illustration is AI-generated.

Microgravity changes flame shape and droplet behavior.