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U.S. Department of Energy
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Hypersonic atomic oxygen molecular beam source

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:7293369
A high intensity, high velocity atomic oxygen molecular beam source was developed, and its operating characteristics theoretically and experimentally investigated. The source operation is based on thermal dissociation in a thorium dioxide oven, and excellent source life-time and operating stability to 3000 K have been demonstrated, utilizing ohmic heating at 350 watts and multi-foil radiation shielding. Performance over a wide pressure range of He/O/sub 2/ mixtures was investigated. The helium dilutions favor oxygen dissociation through its lower partial pressure, while maintaining high freezing Mach numbers in the beam formation process. It was demonstrated that the oxygen behavior in the source was unaffected by the presence of the helium. A best atomic oxygen beam intensity of 1.61 x 1018 atoms/steradian sec. from the source was attained at an estimated velocity of 3.8 km/sec, higher than any previous source. Dissociation at this intensity was 55%, and larger atomic oxygen percentage can be obtained at lower oxygen partial pressures.
Research Organization:
Toronto Univ., Ontario (Canada). Inst. for Aerospace Studies
OSTI ID:
7293369
Report Number(s):
N-77-23907; UTIAS-212; CN-ISSN-0082-5255
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English