TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENTS OF SHOCK WAVES BY THE SPECTRUM-LINE REVERSAL METHOD

Journal Article · Mon Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1958 · Proc. Roy. Soc. (London)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1098/rspa.1958.0254· OSTI ID:4310688

Clouston, J G; Gaydon, A G; Glass, I I

By using a photomultiplier and cathode-ray oscillograph responsive only to changes in light signal, the sodium-line reversal technique, commonly used for measurement of flame temperature, has been adapted for time-resolved studies of temperature behind shock waves produced by a bursting diaphragm. The sensitivity of the method is discussed; temperatures can be determined to about plus or minus 30 C. General agreement between calculated and observed temperatures is obtained, but both alr and oxygen show a high-temperature region due to burning at the interface with the hydrogen driver gas. In nitrogen at around 2400 K, a low-temperature region close to the shock front may be attributed to a vibrational energy lag of the order of 100 mu s, the sodium excitation following the effective vibrational temperature rather than the translational temperature of the nitrogen. In oxygen, evidence for a dissociation relaxation effect is obtained for shocks giving temperatures of around 2500 K; this produces an abnormally high temperature near the front. Other irregularities in temperature in the uniform flow region, especially for nitrogen, are discussed. The period of uniform fiow is only about half that expected for a real inviscid gas. (auth)

• Research Organization: Imperial Coll., London
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• NSA Number: NSA-13-003164
• OSTI ID: 4310688
• Journal Information: Proc. Roy. Soc. (London), Journal Name: Proc. Roy. Soc. (London) Vol. Vol: A248
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

AIR
ENERGY
ENERGY LEVELS
EXCITATION
GAS FLOW
GASES
HYDROGEN
IONIZATION
LIGHT
MEASURED VALUES
NITROGEN
NUMERICALS
OSCILLOGRAPHS
OXYGEN
PHOTOMULTIPLIERS
PHYSICS AND MATHEMATICS
RELAXATION
RESOLUTION
SHOCK WAVES
SIGNALS
SODIUM
SPECTRA
SURFACES
TEMPERATURE
VIBRATIONS
VISCOSITY