ROTATIONAL TEMPERATURE-MEASUREMENT IN HIGH-TEMPERATURE AIR USING KRF LASER-INDUCED O2 FLUORESCENCE

Rotational temperature of O2 has been measured in an atmospheric-air f urnace using KrF laser-induced fluorescence. Average measurement error s of 10.7% and 5.1% over a temperature range of 1325-1725 K were obser ved using two- and four-line excitation techniques, respectively. Grou nd-state depletion was observed for a spectral laser irradiance greate r than approximately 7.5 x 10(6) W/cm2 cm-1. This technique is suitabl e for temperature measurements when the O2 vibrational population is n ot in thermal equilibrium.