Experimental and numerical studies on the thermal nonequilibrium behaviors of CO with Ar, He, and H2

Abstract

The time-dependent rotational and vibrational temperatures were measured to study the shock-heated thermal nonequilibrium behaviors of CO with Ar, He, and H2 as collision partners. Three interference-free transition lines in the fundamental vibrational band of CO were applied to the fast, in situ, and state-specific measurements. Vibrational relaxation times of CO were summarized over a temperature range of 1110–2820 K behind reflected shocks. The measured rotational temperature instantaneously reached an equilibrium state behind shock waves. The measured vibrational temperature experienced a relaxation process before reaching the equilibrium state. The measured vibrational temperature time histories were compared with predictions based on the Landau–Teller model and the state-to-state approach. The state-to-state approach treats the vibrational energy levels of CO as pseudo-species and accurately describes the detailed thermal nonequilibrium processes behind shock waves. The datasets of state-specific inelastic rate coefficients of CO–Ar, CO–He, CO–CO, and CO–H2 collisions were calculated in this study using the mixed quantum-classical method and the semiclassical forced harmonic oscillator model. The predictions based on the state-to-state approach agreed well with the measured data and nonequilibrium (non-Boltzmann) vibrational distributions were found in the post-shock regions, while the Landau–Teller model predicted slower vibrational temperature time histories than the measured data. Modifications were applied to the Millikan–White vibrational relaxation data of the CO–Ar and CO–H2 systems to improve the performance of the Landau–Teller model. In addition, the thermal nonequilibrium processes behind incident shocks, the acceleration effects of H2O on the relaxation process of CO, and the characterization of vibrational temperature were highlighted.