SHOCK TUBE PERFORMANCE OF A LANGMUIR PROBE SUITABLE FOR BALLISTIC RANGE APPLICATIONS,
Abstract
The shock tube performance of a Langmuir probe suitable for temporal electron density measurements in a large ballistic range is presented. The positively biased probe is designed to utilize a 0.001 in. wire held in tension as an electron collector in a 1000 K, for 3 torr turbulent wake which has a 0.004 in. mean free path. Preliminary measurements of the probe characteristics were made in a shock tube at an initial pressure of 0.02 torr and shock speed of 4.5 mm/microsec. Under these conditions, the mean free path of the test gas was 0.011 in., and the electron number density was 2.5 x 10 to the 11th power/cu cm. Because of the higher dynamic pressure in the shock tube, 0.005 in. wire was used and remained intact throughout the series of runs. Data taken over a range of probe voltages from low electron currents to saturation current were in satisfactory agreement with theoretical calculations based on equilibrium electron density.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 1966
- Accession Number
- AD0800327
Entities
People
- E. Locke
- K. Plotkin