Measurement of rf Ionization Rates in High-Temperature Air

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Abstract
High‐frequency net ionization rates in hot air were determined as a function of field strength by measurements in a shock tube. The equilibrium air temperature was 3350°K±350°. The rates were deduced from time‐resolved measurements of the electron density in hot air when exposed to the pulsed fields on microwave slot antennas. The rates in equilibrium hot air were found to be higher than the rates in room‐temperature air by more than a factor of ten. The ionization rates are shown to increase from the room‐temperature values to the equilibrium hot‐air values during the first few mean free paths behind the shock front.