The way metal melted in debris from the space shuttle Columbia indicates the leading edge of the shuttle's left wing experienced the hottest temperatures, perhaps offering clues as to where fiery gases penetrated the spacecraft, experts said Wednesday.

"This part of the leading edge saw the hottest heat," Mark Tanner, a mechanical engineer told members of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board during a second day of hearings. "I think this tells us a small story."

Molten metal is much more apparent on panels from the left wing than the right wing, said Gregory Kovacs, a professor of electronics at Stanford University, who is studying the debris for investigators.

"You see more deposits. You see deposits that are different in character," Kovacs said of the left wing. "If you look at the right wing, the panels are pretty clean."

Pieces from the left side also show more signs of erosion and degradation, Tanner said.

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