Interaction of a glow discharge with a rarefied hypersonic flow in a curvilinear channel

A two-dimensional simulation model is used to study the gasdynamic structure of a rarefied hypersonic flow of molecular nitrogen in a curvilinear channel in which the lower surface carries the cathode section of the discharge gap whereas the upper surface serves as the anode. The electrodynamic structure of the glow discharge (the distribution of concentrations of charged species, current density, and electric potential) is examined. It was demonstrated that the burning of a glow discharge in a rarefied hypersonic flow makes it possible to effectively modify the shock wave structure of the flow.