Nonequilibrium vibrational kinetics of air hitting a catalytic SiO2 surface

The effects of a SiO2 partially catalytic surface on the nonequilibrium che mical and vibrational kinetics of a five-species (N, N-2, O, O-2, NO) air m ixture in the boundary layer of hypersonic reentry vehicles have been inves tigated. To this aim, boundary-layer equations coupled to vibrational maste r equations have been solved. The surface atomic recombination reactions ha ve been considered as pumping the last bound vibrational level of N2 and O- 2 molecules. The results show a combined influence of gas-phase and surface reactions on NO formation.