Measurement campaigns on Mars entry plasmas using ICP torches.Characterization by emission spectroscopy and probes techniques

International audienceThe inductively coupled plasma torch of the Laboratoire Arc Electrique et Plasma Thermique (LAEPT) is used to generate plasma at atmospheric pressure in order to investigate the radiation behavior of different plasma flows in chemical and thermal equilibrium. In the present study, the determination of the local specific enthalpy was assessed in order to compare results of optical emission spectroscopy. The comparison is realized using an enthalpy probe of Institut für Raumfahrtsysteme (IRS) of the University of Stuttgart. However, the original approach of the enthalpy probe could not be applied, but the measured heat flux was interpreted in terms of forced convection of the hot plasma to the cooled copper surface. Following this theory, the flow temperature in thermal and chemical equilibrium can be determined which compares very well to the measured temperatures using Mach-Zehnder-Interferometry