Measurement of MHD combustion-gas temperatures and potassium number densities in the presence of cold boundary layers

The wing-reversal method is useful, with small influence by self-resonant absorption, for the measurement of MHD combustion-gas temperatures in the presence of cold boundary layers. We show how the errors caused by self-absorption in the wing-reversal method are obtained by using correction factors for temperature and potassium atom density in boundary layers, without numerical integration of the radiative transfer equation. The radiative transfer equation and the absorption coefficient of potassium may be simplified when the optical thickness is appreciably smaller than unity. We have used this method on MHD combustion gases. The measured main flow temperature agrees with the thermal equilibrium temperature within 1%, while the measured main flow potassium atom density is about 65% of the equilibrium density.