Plasma Chemistry and Plasma Processing, Vol.16, No.1, 79-97, 1996
Rarefied Plasma - Metallic Particle Heat and Momentum-Transfer Under Hypersonic Flow Conditions
The methods of molecular gas dynamics are applied for the description of charge, momentum, and heat transfer to a spherical metallic particle under hypersonic plasma flow conditions when the thermal motion of heavy plasma species (molecules ald ions) is negligible compared to the particle velocity in the plasma. The contribution of each component of the plasma (molecules, electrons, and ions) to the transfer processes is studied by simulating the plasma flow around the particle on the basis of a combined solution of the Poisson equation and the equations of motion of plasma ions in the electrostatic field of the charged particle. The influence of the plasma flow speed ratio and tire Debye screening parameter an the drag force and heat transfer rate is investigated by numerical and analytical methods.