Development of an apparatus and process for precision measurements of cryogenic thermal contraction of materials

NASA frequently needs thermal contraction data for materials to be used in cryogenic space flight missions. To satisfy this need, we developed an apparatus and a high-precision technique for performing such measurements using a commercial fiber-optic-based position sensor. We describe the measurement process and its verification using a copper sample. We also present data for alumina and sintered samarium cobalt, which we characterized for potential NASA use.