Rotational temperature profiles of shock waves in diatomic gases

Abstract

The variation of the translational temperature, rotational temperature, and density through shock waves in oxygen and nitrogen was studied using classical laws of mechanics and a Monte Carlo scheme. The collision dynamics were calculated using an intermolecular potential by Parker with both a two-dimensional approximation and the full three-dimensional calculations. The rotational velocity frequency distributions were also calculated. The average number of collisions a molecule will experience a t various stages passing through a shock wave were found and plotted with the temperature and density profiles. The nitrogen results were compared with experimental results and good agreement was found. This also provided a method for giving a first approximation to the three-dimensional intermolecular potential.