Electric Discharges in High-Enthalpy Nonequilibrium Flows: Bridging Plasma Physics and Hypersonic Aerodynamics
As the boundaries of hypersonic flight continue to expand—fueled by both defense imperatives and renewed interest in rapid global access—researchers find themselves increasingly confronted with the intersection of two complex and historically separate domains: high-speed gas dynamics and plasma physics. While both have matured independently over the decades, the specific case of electric discharges in […]
Microwave Discharge Plasmas in Nonequilibrium Flows: A Re-Emerging Tool for Aerodynamic Control and Propulsion
As the aerospace community continues to push the boundaries of atmospheric flight and access to near-space environments, the search for compact, energy-efficient, and fast-response flight control and propulsion enhancement mechanisms has increased interest in an old but often underestimated tool: the microwave discharge plasma. In the unique thermodynamic and chemical environments found in hypersonic flight […]