Study of spherical shock waves in a non-self-maintained discharge by the laser schlieren technique

Results are presented from the study of spherical shock waves (SWs) in air and in a low-temperature plasma of a non-self-maintained discharge in carbo n dioxide by using the laser schlieren technique. A new calibration procedu re and a new method for calculating the signal obtained by this technique i nclude (i) experimental determination of the frequency response and sensiti vity of the schlieren gauge, (ii) reconstruction of the density jump at the SW front as a function of the radius of a spherical SW from the recorded t imes of the SW arrival for different propagation distances in air (the reco nstruction is based on the results of a numerical solution of the problem o f point explosion in a gas with taking into account the gas pressure ahead of the SW front and the asymptotic law of the SW propagation), and (iii) th e partial-ray method for calculating the schlieren-system response to the p assage of a spherical SW across the laser beam. This technique is used to r econstruct the values of the density jump at the front of a spherical SW in teracting with the plasma of a non-self-maintained discharge in carbon diox ide (electronegative gas with dissociative electron attachment).