Radiation excited by shock waves in a CO2-N-2-Ar mixture: Experiment and theory

On the basis of experimental data both published and obtained by the author s on radiation excited in CO2-N-2-Ar mixtures by shock waves, a physicochem ical model of such mixtures is developed that can be recommended for calcul ating the heat exchange and radiation of vehicles descending in the Martian atmosphere. It is shown that the usually adopted assumption of the locally equilibrium population of the electron-exited states is invalid. This make s it necessary to consider each electron-excited state separately. The rate constants of the excitation processes of electron states CN(A(2)Pi), CN(B( 2)Sigma (+)), and C-2(d(3)Pi (g)) produced as a result of collisions with h eavy particles are determined. (C) 2001 MAIK "Nauka/Interperiodica"..