Abstract: A device for the extraction and collection of volatiles from soil or planetary regolith. The device utilizes core drilled holes to gain access to underlying volatiles below the surface. Microwave energy beamed into the holes penetrates through the soil or regolith to heat it, and thereby produces vapor by sublimation. The device confines and transports volatiles to a cold trap for collection.

Abstract: A method of observing crystal formation in a transparent specimen (58 of FIG. 5) comprising the steps of melting a portion of the specimen in a heating zone (22 of FIG. 2) freezing the melted portion of the specimen 58 by a cooling zone (20 of FIG. 2) spaced from the heating zone by a gap (42) which is observable by a suitable observing means (30), controlling the temperatures of the heating and cooling zones (22 and 20) to various temperatures to create a variable temperature gradient across the gap (42) so that the freezing isotherm of the specimen (58) always remains in a substantially constant position within the gap (42) where it is observable by the observing means (30), and moving the specimen (58) longitudinally while the temperature gradient is varying.