Glow discharge in external magnetic field in hypersonic flow of rarefied gas

A two-dimensional computational model is used to investigate the gasdynamic structure of a rarefied (pressure of several torr) hypersonic flow of molecular nitrogen in a plane channel, with a glow discharge maintained between two surfaces of this channel. An asymmetric configuration of electrodes is considered, namely, the cathode is a narrow strip located on the lower surface of the channel, and the upper surface of the channel is a continuous anode. The fundamental possibility is studied of using an external magnetic field transverse to the flow for modifying the shock-wave structure of flow in the channel.
A two-dimensional conjugate electrogasdynamic model is given, which includes equations of continuity, Navier-Stokes equations, equations of conservation of energy, and equations of continuity of charged particles in ambipolar approximation. The real thermophysical and transport properties of molecular nitrogen are included.
It is demonstrated that the use of a surface glow discharge in a rarefied hypersonic flow enables one to effectively modify the shock-wave structure of flow and, thereby, consider discharges of this type as additional means of control over rarefied gas flows.