THE DETERMINATION OF THE RATES OF ELECTRON-ATTACHMENT TO ALUMINUM-OXIDES FROM THE RESULTS OF BALLISTIC EXPERIMENTS

The results are described of measurements of the electron concentratio n in wakes behind aluminum models flying in the air at velocities of V (infinity) = 3.4 - 5.7 km/s and pressures of p(infinity) = 10 - 80 tor r. Calculations are performed of the heating and ablation of aluminum from the surface of the models during their hypersonic motion in a bal listic path. The basic nonequilibrium processes of the charged particl e recombination and electron attachment involving the products of abla tion of aluminum are discussed. The solution of the inverse problem re sulted in the determination of the constants of attachment to aluminum oxides and to condensed phase particles. The high efficiency of alumi num oxides as an electron acceptor in a low-temperature plasma is demo nstrated.