Accession Number:

AD0258737

Title:

THE USE OF A T-TUBE TO PRODUCE SHOCK-HEATED PLASMAS IN AN X-BAND WAVEGUIDE

Descriptive Note:

Corporate Author:

MARYLAND UNIV COLLEGE PARK INST FOR FLUID DYNAMICS AND APPLIED MATHEMATICS

Personal Author(s):

• SCHECHER,J.M.

Report Date:

1961-04-01

Pagination or Media Count:

1.0

Abstract:

The shock wave produced by a T-tube with a sidearm expansion tube of 10-mm square cross section is investigated in order to determine whether it might be used to produce shock-heated plasmas in an X-band waveguide. Only weak shocks of Mach number less than 15 in argon at ambient pressures from 0.12 mm to 2 mm of mercury was studied. The investigation has two aspects. The theoretical and experimental results obtained by previous studies of strong shocks in T-tubes are applied to our tube where it is possible. Experimental studies were also made on the tube. At Mach numbers less than 16 the velocity of the shock front varies as the inverse square of the initial pressure and as the square of the applied voltage. The maximum volume of the shock-heated test plasma is found by theoretical considerations to be less than 1.2 c.c. Drum camera pictures reveal the presence of additional fronts which move slightly faster than the shock front itself. Several shocks are produced by the ringing of the discharge circuit. A summary is given of the knowledge of the thermodynamic variables of the test gas behind the shock front which can be obtained from drum camera photographs. Author

Descriptors:

• *PLASMAS(PHYSICS)
• *SHOCK TUBES
• *SHOCK WAVES
• ELECTRIC DISCHARGES
• RANGE(DISTANCE)
• ROTATING DRUM CAMERAS
• WAVEGUIDES
• X BAND

Subject Categories:

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE