Aerodynamic calibration of TCM2 facility and study of a bow shock layer by emission and laser spectroscopy

Flow properties in the TCM2 free piston shock tube/tunnel are determined by time-resolved pressure and heat flux measurements in numerous points of the shock tube and the nozzle, and in the free flow for two stagnation enthalpy conditions (3.5 and 11 MJ/kg). These measurements demonstrate the homogeneity of the flow during more than 1 ms. The cleanness of the useful test time is shown with time-resolved emission measurements at critical wavelengths. NO fluorescence profiles are established with local and planar laser-induced fluorescence in the shock layer around a cylindrical model. It allows to determine the shock stand-off distance for both enthalpy conditions. The problems of quenching and amplified spontaneous emission are considered. The importance of atomic oxygen and atomic nitrogen densities as well as temperature effects is also shown. Evaluation of the temperatures behind the shock front through spectroscopic data agrees with calculations. The proof of the presence of vibrationally excited NO ahead of the shock layer is given.