Electron density distribution in the near wake

Abstract : An attempt is made to obtain detailed point-wise electron density distributions in the near wake, utilizing a shock-tunnel for that purpose. The test flow is slightly ionized and chemically frozen. Typical reentry type configurations, among which are a hemisphere cylinder and a 10-degree half-angle cone model, were chosen for the investigation. To achieve spacial resolution, the sizes of the models were chosen large enough to accommodate a number of sensors while minimizing their mutual interference.