Non-intrusive characterization and numerical investigation on a Mach 10 ionized air flow

This paper deals with the measurements performed to characterize the jet produced by the plasma wind tunnel SCIROCCO. The measurements are aimed to determine the vibrational temperature and the electron density of the plasma flow. A numerical rebuilding of the expansion trough the nozzle has then been performed. The work is part of an experimental activity funded by the European Space Agency and by the Italian Space Agency in the framework of a conjunct research project on the MHD interaction in an unseeded hypersonic air flow. © 2012 by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc. All rights reserved.