The Effect of Pulsed Sliding Surface Discharges on Supersonic Airflow past a Thin Wedge in Shock Tube

Abstract

The influence of ~300-ns pulsed sliding surface discharges on supersonic airflow with M = 1.2–1.5 past a thin wedge has been studied in a shock tube at 0.12–0.14 kg/m³ gas density. It is established that inhomogeneity of the airflow-density field near the wedge leads to changes in the discharge current geometry and the structure of surface-discharge glow. The dynamics of discharge-initiated shock waves disturbing the quasi-stationary flow past the wedge was studied by the method of shadow visualization. It is shown that shock waves from intense surface-discharge channels in front of the wedge and behind its rear part can produce nonstationary action on the flow past the wedge surface, which lasts for up to 120 μs after the discharge pulse.