Shock-Generated Plasmas in Hypersonic Flight: The Double-Edged Sword of Ionization
As hypersonic technologies transition from experimental concepts to operational platforms, engineers and scientists are forced to confront a range of physical phenomena that exist at the edge of our traditional understanding. Among these, the formation of shock-generated plasmas in high-speed flight is a particularly intriguing and consequential topic—one that embodies both opportunity and risk. At […]
Electron Energy Relaxation in Hypersonic Plasmas: Bridging Kinetic Theory and Engineering Practice
In hypersonic aerothermodynamics, the interplay of physical processes often reveals itself most clearly in what is not in equilibrium. One of the most critical, yet frequently overlooked, aspects of nonequilibrium plasma behavior in high-speed high-altitude flows is the relaxation of electron energy—a process that affects transport processes, electromagnetic interactions, and ultimately, the feasibility of active […]