Spectroscopic Measurements and Kinetic Modeling of Non-Boltzmann CN for Entry Systems Modeling

NASA's Dragonfly mission will launch in 2028 and embark on a roughly six-year journey to Titan. Entry into Titan's atmosphere produces strong shock waves behind which non-equilibrium chemistry and radiation are prominent due to the extreme temperature and low pressure of the gas. Unfortunately, NASA currently cannot predict the heat transfer associated with CN at all times during the flight trajectory into Titan with the desired level of accuracy using their most up to date models. This means that heat shielding for the entry vehicle must be over-engineered at a great expense to increased weight and mission cost. Recent work conducted in the field of non-equilibrium CN formed behind shock waves in gas mixtures replicating Titan's atmosphere has led to developments in the theory behind the non-equilibrium thermochemistry involved but major scientific questions remain. For example, which chemical reaction(s) is most responsible for production of non-equilibrium CN? Can an electronic- and vibrational-state-resolved chemical kinetics mechanism be developed to accurately model the non-equilibrium reaction kinetics and improve predictions of radiation? Can broadband laser absorption diagnostics for CN and C2 be developed and applied to shock-tube experiments to improve our understanding of the governing science? Are the upper electronic-state populations of CN also non-thermal? I will address these questions by developing and applying novel laser absorption spectroscopy and optical emission spectroscopy diagnostics for shock tube experiments. Further, I will develop a new chemical kinetic mechanism that accounts for state-dependent reaction kinetics and thermal non-equilibrium of CN produced in Titan's atmosphere. The goal of developing these new diagnostics and models is to better understand and predict the heat transfer to the heat shield of vehicles entering Titan's atmosphere. As a result, the proposed work will have a large impact on NASA's upcoming Dragonfly mission to Titan.

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