Abstract
AbstractCharacteristics of an up‐down type Mach probe are investigated by using a directional Langmuir probe (DLP) in unmagnetized plasmas with subsonic and supersonic flow produced by a magneto‐plasma‐dynamic arcjet (MPDA). The ion acoustic Mach number Mi is derived from plasma flow velocity Up and ion temperature Ti measured by spectroscopy and electron temperature Te by Langmuir probe. The obtained values of Mi are compared to the DLP data in various conditions of plasma flow and the coefficient of Mc in the Mach probe formula,Mi = Mc ln(Jup/Jdown ) , is evaluated. The obtained data are also compared with Hutchinson's PIC simulation results in an unmagnetized plasma and are in good agreement with each other. The dependence of ln(Jup/Jdown ) on cosϕ can be expressed as a quadratic function under subsonic (Mi < 1) and supersonic (Mi > 1) flow, so that the up‐down type Mach probe can detect the components of plasma flow vector even when the probe collection surface inclines to plasma flow direction. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
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