Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Interpretation of Luminous Phenomena Observed in Electromagnetic Shock Tubes

Journal Article · · Physics of Fluids (New York)
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1706798· OSTI ID:4706977

A series of experiments with electromagnetically driven shock waves in various gases showed that the luminous emission observed along the tube should often be interpreted as being due to direct ionization produced by the driver discharge and not to thermal ionization produced by the shock wave. The experiments also show that for high Mach numbers obtained at low initial pressures (of the order of 1 mm Hg), the shock front and the front of the discharge plasma jet (contact front) practically coincide. Thus, in contradiction with the conclusions reached by Kolb, Griem, and others, the state of the luminous gas following the shock front cannot be calculated by the Rankine- Hugoniot equations from the velocity of the front. The results presented were obtained by spectrographic investigation of the light emitted along a special H- shaped glass tube in which the gas between one of the electrode pairs is initially different from that filling the rest of the tube.

Research Organization:
Institut du Radium, Paris
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
NSA Number:
NSA-17-025917
OSTI ID:
4706977
Journal Information:
Physics of Fluids (New York), Journal Name: Physics of Fluids (New York) Journal Issue: 5 Vol. 6; ISSN 0031-9171; ISSN PFLDAS
Publisher:
American Institute of Physics
Country of Publication:
Country unknown/Code not available
Language:
English

Similar Records

INVESTIGATION OF SHOCK AND LUMINOUS FRONTS IN AN ELECTROMAGNETIC SHOCK TUBE
Journal Article · Thu Feb 28 23:00:00 EST 1963 · Zeitschrift fuer Naturforschung (West Germany) Divided into Z. Nautrforsch., A, and Z. Naturforsch., B: Anorg. Chem., Org. Chem., Biochem., Biophys., · OSTI ID:4692646

THE STRUCTURE OF AN ELECTROMAGNETICALLY DRIVEN SHOCK
Technical Report · Thu Sep 15 00:00:00 EDT 1960 · OSTI ID:4084182

Moving plasma in an electric shock tube with pulsed gas injection
Journal Article · Tue Oct 31 23:00:00 EST 1978 · Sov. Phys. - Tech. Phys. (Engl. Transl.); (United States) · OSTI ID:6144612