Flow visualization using fluorescence from locally seeded I2 excited by an ArF excimer laser

A new concept for flow visualization is demonstrated in which fluorescence from locally seeded iodine is viewed in the wake of simple aerodynamic models at Mach 6. Localized seeding is performed by painting a small area of a ceramic model with a tincture of iodine. When the model is injected into the flow, the adsorbed iodine is entrained into the boundary layer, follows the model contour, and ultimately mixes into the wake region. Planar “snapshots” of the wake flow are taken by exciting the iodine with an ArF excimer laser sheet at 193 nm and observing the fluorescence in the 210–600 nm region with an intensified CCD camera.