Laboratory Modeling of the Plasma Layer at Hypersonic Flight

• Main Authors: A., Shashurin,, T., Zhuang,, G., Teel,, M., Keidar,, M., Kundrapu,, J., Loverich,, I. I., Beilis,, Y., Raitses,
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amer Inst Aeronautics Astronautics 2015
• Subjects: Arc Cathode Spots; Ion Flux; Anode Vacuum-Arc
• Online Access: http://ddms.usim.edu.my/handle/123456789/8301

A simple approach to modeling the plasma layer similar to that appearing in the vicinity of a hypersonic vehicle is demonstrated in a laboratory experiment. This approach is based on the use of a hypersonic jet from a cathodic arc plasma. Another critical element of this laboratory experiment is a blunt body made from a fairly thin foil of refractory material. In experiments, this blunt body is heated by the plasma jet to a temperature sufficiently high to ensure evaporation of surface deposits produced by the metallic plasma jet. This process mimics reflection of gas flow from the hypersonic vehicle in a real flight. Two-dimensional distributions of the hypersonic plasma flow around the blunt body were measured using electrostatic Langmuir probes. Measured plasma density was typically 10(12) cm(-3), which is close to the values measured for real hypersonic flight. The demonstrated laboratory experiment can be used to validate numerical codes for simulating hypersonic flight and to conduct ground-based tests for efficiency validation of various radio communication blackout mitigation techniques.