MONTE-CARLO SIMULATION OF RADIATING REENTRY FLOWS

The direct simulation Monte Carlo method is applied to a radiating, hy personic, axisymmetric now over a blunt body in the near continuum reg ime. The ability of the method to predict the flowfield radiation and the radiative heating is investigated for flow over the Project Fire I I configuration at 11.36 km/s at an altitude of 76.42 km. Two methods that differ in the manner in which they treat ionization and estimate electronic excitation are employed. The calculated results are present ed and compared with both experimental data and solutions where radiat ion effects were not included. Differences in the results are discusse d. Both methods ignore self absorption and, as a result, overpredict m easured radiative heating.