Comparison of theory with atomic oxygen 130.4 nm radiation data from the Bow Shock ultraviolet 2 rocket flight

Comparison is made between the results obtained from a state-of-the-art flow and radiative model and bow shock vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) data obtained the recent Bow Shock 2 Flight Experiment. An extensive data set was obtained from onboard rocket measurements at a reentry speed of 5 km/sec between the altitudes of approximately 65-85 km. A description of the NO photoionization cell used, the data, and the interpretation of the data will be presented. The primary purpose of the analyses is to assess the utility of the data and to propose a radiation model appropriate to the flight conditions of Bow Shock 2. Theoretical predictions based on flow modeling discussed in earlier work and a new radiation model are compared with data.