This paper reviews work underway on the development of new technologies that will enhance the performance of hypersonic vehicles through plasma-related processes and the utilization of MHD to provide the large power levels that are required to drive these processes. Three technologies are discussed for plasma-enhanced hypersonic performance. These include: (1) the use of off-body plasmas for dr...

An accelerometer-based force balance was designed and developed for the measurement of drag, lift, and rolling moment on a blunt-nosed, flapped delta wing in a short-duration hypersonic shock tunnel. Calibration and validation of the balance were carried out by a convolution technique using hammer pulse test and surface pressure measurements. In the hammer pulse test, a known impulse was applie...

† Advanced Sensing and Optical Measurement Branch, MS 493. * National Research Council Postdoctoral Fellow, Hypersonic Airbreathing Propulsion Branch; Currently at the University College, University of New South Wales, ADFA, Canberra, ACT, Australia. + Advanced Sensing and Optical Measurement Branch, MS 493; also Graduate Student in The Department of Physics at The College of William and Mary, ...

Problems associated with telemetry blackout caused by the plasma sheath surrounding a hypersonic vehicle are addressed. In particular, the critical nature of overcoming this limitation for test and evaluation purposes is detailed. Since the telemetry blackout causes great concern for atmospheric cruise vehicles, ballistic missiles, and reentry vehicles, there have been many proposed approaches ...

The first comprehensive study of electron gains and losses in hypersonic air flows including the full coupling between non-neutral plasma sheaths quasi-neutral flow is here presented. Such made possible by use advanced numerical methods that overcome stiffness associated with sheaths. sheaths, temperature non-equilibrium, ambipolar diffusion within found to be critical predict accurately and, t...