A Cryogenic Shock Tube: Low Temperature Shock Waves in Molecular Hydrogen.

Abstract

A shock tube has been applied to the study of low temperature shock waves in molecular hydrogen and parahydrogen. The Rankine-Hugoniot shock equation, behaves nonclassically for normal hydrogen and parahydrogen. This is due to the change in the number of degrees of freedom across the shock caused by the excitation of the rotational energy states. The predicted Rankine-Hugoniot curves have been experimentally measured and confirmed. This was done by simultaneous measurement of the shock speed and the density ratio; the latter by means of a Mach-Zehnder interferometer with a laser light source. Pressure measurements also were made using a quartz piezoelectric transducer. Rotational relaxation times have been measured for normal hydrogen and parahydrogen. This has been accomplished using a high sensitivity schlieren optical system with a laser light source and a photomultiplier recording system. (Author)

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 01, 1971
Accession Number
AD0726652

Entities

People

  • Marvel John Yoder
  • Otto Laporte

Organizations

  • University of Michigan

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Hydrogen
  • Interferometers
  • Light Sources
  • Low Temperature
  • Mach Zehnder Interferometers
  • Measurement
  • Measuring Instruments
  • Piezoelectric Transducers
  • Pressure Measurement
  • Recording Systems
  • Relaxation Time
  • Shock
  • Shock Tubes
  • Shock Waves
  • Transducers
  • Tubes

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Fluid Dynamics.
  • Optical Physics and Photonics.
  • Quantum spin resonance or Electron Paramagnetic Resonance spectroscopy.

Technology Areas

  • Directed Energy
  • Directed Energy - Lasers