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Density profiles in hydrogen shock waves have been measured with an electron beam densitometer for Mach numbers from 1.2 to 3.0. The translational and rotational relaxation processes were found to be uncoupled in the shock wave allowing for a simple determination of the relatively large (from ∼270 to ∼30) number of collisions required for equilibration of the rotational degrees of freedom over the temperature range from 410-1240 °K. An intermediate relaxation point and subsequent increase in the number of collisions required above 600 °K was attributed to the participation of additional excited rotational quantum levels in the equilibration process.

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