Determination of Absorption Coefficients in Shock Heated Propellant Mixtures for Laser-Heated Rocket Thrusters,

Abstract

A series of shock tube experiments were performed to determine the temperature dependence of the absorption coefficient of water vapor at high temperatures on the P(16), P(18), and P(20) 10.6 microns CO2 laser transitions. Measurements were made behind both incident and reflected shock waves encompassing a temperature range form 600 K to 3700 K at pressure from 1 to 40 atmospheres in 2, 5, and 10 mole percent water vapor in argon gas mixtures; a limited number of runs were conducted using 10 mole percent mixtures of water vapor in hydrogen or nitrogen. Conditions at several temperatures were sufficiently varied to investigate the effects of broadening on the absorption coefficient. Within the narrow spectral range from 944 to 948/cm covered in the measurements, no significiant variation in the absorption coefficient was observed as a function of laser wavelength, water concentration, total pressure, or collision partner.

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jul 01, 1981
Accession Number
ADP000271

Entities

People

  • Evan R. Pugh
  • Robert H. Krech

Organizations

  • Physical Sciences (United States)

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Absorption
  • Absorption Coefficients
  • Carbon Dioxide Lasers
  • Coefficients
  • High Temperature
  • Lasers
  • Measurement
  • Shock
  • Shock Tubes
  • Shock Waves
  • Tubes
  • Vapors
  • Water Vapor
  • Waves

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Combustion Dynamics and Shock Wave Physics.
  • Materials Science and Engineering.
  • Thermal Physics or Thermal Science.

Technology Areas

  • Directed Energy
  • Directed Energy - Lasers
  • Space
  • Space - Hall-Effect Thruster