Investigation of flow beyond a supersonic nozzle by an electron-beam technique

The results of an experimental study of a flow of rarefied gas of density 10^–5 g/cm³ beyond the cutoff of a hypersonic nozzle (M11) by means of an electron beam with energy up to 43 keV are presented. The density and velocity fields at different distances from the nozzle and various receiver pressures were measured using this method and the static and total pressure fields were also measured with the help of a Pitot tube. The flow parameters beyond the nozzle were calculated for two limiting cases: with equilibrium condensation and without condensation. This calculation is compared with the experimental results.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 1, pp. 111–117, January–February, 1976.The authors thank S. N. Romanenko for help with the electron-beam experiments.