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Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Theses/Dissertations

Laser Induced Fluorescence

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Full-Text Articles in Mechanical Engineering

Carbon Monoxide Measurements In A Co2 Plasma Using Two-Photon Laser Induced Fluorescence, Brandon Voll Jan 2021

Carbon Monoxide Measurements In A Co2 Plasma Using Two-Photon Laser Induced Fluorescence, Brandon Voll

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Uncertainties in surface catalytic reaction rates in a CO2 plasma have led to overdesign of thermal protection systems, which has caused planetary entry vehicles for the Martian atmosphere to be heavier than necessary. This, in turn, has decreased the available payload of various missions. A better understanding of these reaction rates will allow more precise development of thermal protection systems leading to safer and more effective atmospheric entry vehicles. Near wall measurements in a plasma facility using laser spectroscopic techniques with sub-millimeter spatial resolution provide a method to determine surface-catalyzed reaction efficiencies over metallic surfaces. The present work includes laser …


Assessment Of Surface-Catalyzedreaction Products From Hightemperature Materials In Plasmas, Luke Daniel Allen Jan 2016

Assessment Of Surface-Catalyzedreaction Products From Hightemperature Materials In Plasmas, Luke Daniel Allen

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Current simulations of atmospheric entry into both Mars and Earth atmospheres for the design of thermal protections systems (TPS) typically invoke conservative assumptions regarding surface-catalyzed recombination and the amount of energy deposited on the surface. The need to invoke such assumptions derives in part from lack of adequate experimental data on gas-surface interactions at trajectory relevant conditions. Addressing this issue, the University of Vermont's Plasma Test and Diagnostics Laboratory has done extensive work to measure atomic specie consumption by measuring the concentration gradient over various material surfaces. This thesis extends this work by attempting to directly diagnose molecular species production …