Nonequilibrium kinetics and heat transfer in O2/O mixtures near catalytic surfaces

Nonequilibrium vibrational-chemical kinetics and heat transfer in an O2/O mixture
near the surface of a space vehicle under reentry conditions are studied.
Vibration-translation, vibration-vibration energy exchange,
dissociation-recombination processes in the gas phase as well as heterogeneous
recombination, dissociation, and deactivation of vibrational states on a silica
surface are taken into account. The effect of nonequilibrium kinetics and surface
catalysis on the total heat flux and averaged dissociation-rate coefficients is
examined. It is shown that both heterogeneous recombination and dissociation on
the surface must be incorporated in the kinetic scheme. The contribution of thermal
conductiviy, thermal and mass diffusion, and vibrational energy diffusion to the heat
transfer is evaluated. In particular, vibrational energy diffusion near the surface is
found to play an important role.