Planar Laser-Induced Fluorescence of Mars Science Laboratory Reaction Control System Jets

Nitric-oxide planar laser-induced fluorescence was used to visualize the flow in the wake of a Mars Science Laboratory entry capsule with activated reaction control system jets in NASA Langley Research Center's 31 in. Mach 10 air tunnel facility. Images were processed using the virtual diagnostics interface method, which brings out the three-dimensional nature of the flow visualization data while showing the relative location of the data with respect to the model. Comparison of wind-on and wind-off results illustrates the effect that the hypersonic crossflow has on the trajectory and structure of individual reaction control system jets. The visualization and comparison of both single and multiple activated jets indicate low levels of jet-jet interaction. Quantitative streamwise velocity was also obtained via molecular tagging velocimetry.