Electron beam diagnostics applied to high-density gasdynamic laser mixtures
A new, systematic study of the electron beam induced emission in N/sub 2/--CO/sub 2/--H/sub 2/O mixtures typical of those in gasdynamic lasers has been conducted. Vibrational temperatures of molecular nitrogen were successfully measured at density levels at least an order-of-magnitude above those normally used with an electron beam. The experimental studies were performed in an arc-heated free jet with densities up to those corresponding to a pressure of 20 torr at 300K. Comparisons of theoretical and experimental N/sub 2/ vibrational temperatures are presented which show that the data are not adversly influenced by the high density nor by the addition of CO/sub 2/ and H/sub 2/O so long as there is a relatively high flow velocity.