Continuum radiated power for high-temperature air and its components.

Fables of total continuum radiation for nitrogen, oxygen, and air have been generated for 0.1, 1.0, and 10.0 aim for X > 2000A and temperatures ranging from 9000° to 20,000°K. These estimates are based on measurements of continuum radiation from a water-cooled constricted arc at atmospheric pressure. The spectral radiation measurements were integrated and separated into contributions from atom-electron and positive ion-electron interactions by a curve fit to continuum theory. A solution for the constants y;, governing the magnitude of these reactions, allowed extrapolation to other pressures and temperatures. Graphs in terms of gas density ratios and flight velocity are included, and comparisons with theoretical estimates arid other experimental results are made.