This platform is designed to allow for real time solidification interface tracking.  It consists of two independent heaters in a vacuum chamber.  A transparent crucible separates the heaters.  A window into the chamber is centered on the region of crucible between the two heaters.  This allows for real time tracking of the solidification interface during directional solidification.  An infrared linescan camera was used to track the interface position.  The platform was also design to be inserted into a 1.25T static magnetic field generator.  Rotating magnetic field coils were fitted adjacent to the solidification region on the furnace insert,  Hardware temperature controllers and DC power supplies power and control the heaters.  A rotating magnetic field control was also developed.  These elements and the linescan camera readout are integrated together on a monitoring PC using LabView based software.