MICROWAVE MEASUREMENTS OF PLASMA FLOW IN A SUPERSONIC WIND TUNNEL

Abstract

A 24 kilomegacycle microwave interferometer is used to measure the density and the collision frequency of electrons in a plasma flow in a small supersonic wind tunnel, heated by 13 megacycle radio-frequency power supply. By means of slabs and strips of known dielectric properties, the characteristics of microwave interaction with the tunnel filled with the dielectrics is examined, and it is confirmed that the measured phase shift agrees with the predicted one. Results are obtained for a stable plasma flow, and they show reasonable values. The unstable plasma flow, which usually occurs at high input power and at low pressures, cannot be measured. (Author)

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 01, 1961
Accession Number
AD0266686

Entities

People

  • Koichi Oshima

Organizations

  • University of Southern California

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Collisions
  • Dielectric Properties
  • Dielectrics
  • Frequency
  • Measurement
  • Microwaves
  • Phase Shift
  • Power
  • Power Supplies
  • Radio Frequency
  • Radio Frequency Power
  • Supersonic Wind Tunnels
  • Wind Tunnels

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Fluid Dynamics.
  • Plasma Physics.

Technology Areas

  • Hypersonics
  • Hypersonics - Hypersonic Flow
  • Microelectronics