Supersonic Expansion of Nonequilibrium Plasmas.
Abstract
In the supersonic expansion of an ionized gas, the dominant factor in models describing the atomic processes is the recombination rate constant (K sub R). Several models describing the recombination process have been reviewed in some detail. It has been found that, depending on the adopted definition, different models will yield different values of (K sub R) for the same electron temperature and number density. A comparison of experimentally and theoretically derived values for (K sub R) has to be done with great care, as in the majority of the experiments (K sub R) is determined from the measured rate of disappeareance of free electrons. These measurements give the correct 'decay coefficient', but only in certain circumstances will it reduce to the correct recombination rate. It was found that the theoretically predicted values for the three-body, electron-ion-electron collisional-recombination rate are in good agreement with those measured gasdynamically in a well-defined flow. (Modified author abstract)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 1974
- Accession Number
- AD0785434
Entities
People
- O. Igra
Organizations
- University of Toronto