PHYSICAL GAS DYNAMIC RESEARCH AT THE AVCO RESEARCH LABORATORY

The advantages of the straight shock tube for investigation of high temperature gas dynamics are discussed. The enthalpy and pressure attainable at the stagnation point of a blunt model in a shock tube are given and are shown to duplicate those encountered at the stagnation point in flight up to the satellite velocity. In addition the condition in the hot gas behind both the moving shock wave and behind a shock wave reflected from the closed end of the tube are shown to be applicable to the study of many hypersonic flight phenomena. Several investigations, conducted in shock tubes, into critical gas dynamic problems associated with the high temperature are described. Heat transfer measurement in the laminar, dissociated, boundary layer at the stagnation point are discussed. Measurements of the radiative emissivity and electrical conductivity of high temperature air are described. Other investigations into the properties of high temperature gases, including preliminary studies of magnetohydrodynamics are summarized.