On Nonequilibrium Radiation in Hydrogen Shock Layers

The influence of thermochemical nonequilibrium in the shock layer over a vehicle entering the atmosphere of an outer planet is examined qualitatively. The state of understanding of the heating environment for the Galileo Probe vehicle is first reviewed. Next, the possible reasons for the high recession in the frustum region and the low recession in the stagnation region are examined. The state of understanding of the nonequilibrium in the hydrogen flow is then examined. For the entry flight in Neptune, the possible influence of nonequilibrium is predicted.