A set of equations governing the quasi-one-dimensional flow of a nonequilibrium argon plasma is formulated. The kinetic model includes ionization by atom-atom and electron-atom impacts, together with the three-body recombination counterparts of these processes. The electron gas temperature—a key variable in controlling ionization reaction rates in a noble gas—is not necessarily equal to that of the heavy particles and must in general be found by simultaneous solution of a differential electron energy equation together with the usual conservation equations. Numerical solutions are obtained for the special case of the relaxation zone behind strong normal shocks which give good agreement with shock tube measured ionization times. For these normal-shock calculations, a local steady-state approximation to the electron energy equation is found to be useful in view of an insensitivity, demonstrated by the numerical results, to arbitrarily selected initial values of post-translational shock electron temperature.

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A small electrode mounted inside the face of a cathode-ray tube gives a ``window'' comparable to its own dimensions when the bias voltages are set so that secondary electron emission current dominates. Under these conditions the device can be used for measurement of probability densities of random signals.

Experimental values for recombination rates between electrons and cesium ions are presented in this report. Measurements cover temperature& from 4300° K to l

underspecified, with only three equations for the four unknowns of the problem. I am grateful to both Dr. Millman and Dr. Cook 2 for pointing out that a straight line fit toat three epochs (the last being Q yields the slope (0-/K) 3/2 and the intercept (o/KT) 3/2 m pe at t = t e . Obviously, division of the second quantity by the first yields the final mass m pe , and (cr/K) is obtained from the first quantity. I also would like to correct an error in the definition of the ballistic parameter