High-speed infrared laser absorption imaging of state populations and multiple temperatures for entry studies

This project will advance high-speed laser diagnostic techniques to enable temporally- and spatially-resolved measurements of state populations and multiple temperatures of key atomic and molecular species at entry conditions. We will take advantage of breakthroughs in high-speed infrared cameras and rapidly-tunable lasers to image species relevant to Mars, Earth, and Venus atmospheres at the extreme conditions of shock layers involved in planetary entry. The key innovation of this project is the advancement of laser-absorption-imaging (LAI), an optical technique aimed at attaining spatio-temporally rich datasets of absorbing species in small-scale flow-fields backlit with tunable laser radiation. In this project, we will enhance LAI by expanding the accessible species, state populations, and temperatures for which the method can be utilized and also the effective measurement rate and wavelength range. These advancements will enable new quantitative measurements (of states/species) in entry aerothermal environments that significantly extend the state-of-the-art in laser diagnostics for high-temperature non-equilibrium flows.

This project looks to provide comprehensive datasets of gas parameters and state populations during entry non-equilibrium and a portable diagnostic system capable of deployment in many entry aerothermal facilities. This project will provide improved models of radiative heat transfer during entry, reductions in Thermal Protection System (TPS) mass, and increased payload mass for NASA missions.

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