Electron thermochemical nonequilibrium effects in re-entry boundary layers

Results of calculated nonequilibrium electron temperature and concentration characteristics in boundary layers are presented for re-entry conditions: Um = 27,500-34,000 fps and altitude 110,000-150,000 ft. These results show the effects of reactions, collisions, electrical current, and electron reflection on the electron heat transfer and temperature. The electron conservation equations in boundary-layer form were solved in the quasi-neutral region with collisionless sheath boundary conditions or approximate boundary conditions derived from the collisionless sheath expressions and valid with collisions in the sheath. A numerical solution was obtained by a finite difference technique after a similarity transformation arid quasilinearization of the equations. The solutions show significant temperature nonequilibrium. Electron current and reflection, combined into a single parameter, reduces electron temperature and increases conduction of energy but does not explicitly affect electron concentration or diffusion of ionization energy.