Rotational nonequilibrium was investigated in hypersonic free jet expansions of nitrogen using the electron beam fluorescence technique. The results confirm the conclusion of previous investigations that a dipole excitation model, with an assumed Boltzmann energy distribution, is not consistent with the measured line intensities. This discrepancy was examined quantitatively and found to be independent of density and source Knudsen number (except at number densities greater than 1016 cm−3). The effect was attributed to interactions with the ejected (ionized) electron and a new excitation model was developed and shown to be consistent with the measurements throughout the flow conditions explored. The resulting rotational temperatures were compared to a simplified relaxation model of the jet and indicate a rotational collision number of 1.9.

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