Vacuum Ultraviolet Instrumentation and Pathlength Amplification for Shock Tube Plasma Kinetics Experiments in Hypersonic Air
Abstract
The acquisition of new spectroscopic instrumentation is proposed to enable access to vacuumultraviolet (VUV) wavelengths and enhance the interaction path length of absorptionspectroscopy measurements during reflected shock experiments performed to understand theinitiation of plasmas in high Mach number hypersonic flight. Plasma blocks radiocommunications, trails behind a vehicle for long distances potentially allowing for detection,and may offer an opportunity for reduced heating and/or drag by manipulation with appliedelectromagnetic fields. Reflected shock tube experiments with high-bandwidth absorptionspectroscopy diagnostics offer the opportunity to investigate the individual state-resolvedchemical pathways relevant to the generation of plasmas, over a broad range of prescribedtemperatures and pressures. However, a number of species and states anticipated to beimportant in plasma generation processes are difficult to measure, as they must be probed withhigh-energy photons (VUV) orusing long interaction pathlengths. The Hanson Research Groupat Stanford University aims to address these challenges using the hardware proposed hereinand to apply the resultant measurement capabilities to enhance our fundamental understandingof complex hypersonic plasma phenomena.[Approved for public release]
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Apr 12, 2023
- Source ID
- N000142312312
Entities
People
- Ronald Kent Hanson
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- Stanford University
- United States Navy