THE CHEMICAL KINETICS OF SODIUM IN RE-ENTRY

Abstract
Sodium is important to reentry because of its contributions to radiation and electron density. It is shown here that neither its radiation nor its electron density can be expected to be in equilibrium. A study of the complete chemical kinetics of sodium is described. The radiation is subject to considerable 'collision limiting' (nonequilibrium excitation and deexcitation). The ionization processes cannot be assumed to be instantaneous and the deionization processes are very slow. The major reaction is the ionization- deionization system, found to be Na + O reversibly yields Na+ + O-, although other reactions, both of this type and other types, contribute appreciable, depending on the conditions. Included in the report is a recommended chemical system, with rate constants, for use in any non-equilibrium calculations of the effects of sodium in reentry.

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