STUDIES OF THERMAL PLASMAS ASSOCIATED WITH HYPERSONIC RE-ENTRY CONDITIONS
Abstract
A program to study the thermal plasmas associated with hypersonic re-entry is presented. One of the major contributors to the ionization level in the gas sheath of re-entry vehicles is the nitric oxide ion. The primary reaction for this ion is the dissociative recombination reaction. This reaction rate was measured in the CAL six foot low-density shock tunnel by monitoring the electron density with X- and S-band microwave interferometers. A recombination rate was then fitted to the data by using the nonequilibrium nozzle flow computational program developed at CAL. The tentative results indicate that the dissociative recombination reaction rate for NO is 3 x 10 to the 20th power 1/T to the 1.5 power cc/mole-sec with an uncertainty factor of two. The measured electron collision frequencies were higher than those predicted. Therefore, additional shock tube experiments are in progress to measure the collision cross-section of air species to thermal electrons by using X-band microwave diagnostics in an equilibrium plasma.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 1963
- Accession Number
- AD0402819
Entities
Organizations
- Calspan