How CORIA'S inductively-coupled plasma torches contribute to atmospheric entry researches

Inductively-coupled plasmas (ICP) complement shock tunnels and arcjets in the group of ground-based facilities for the study of planetary atmospheric entries. ICP proved to be a very efficient way to reproduce non-equilibrium shock layer plasma conditions by their ability to work under various pressure levels with various gases. ICP are used in CORIA, especially to study the interaction of hyperenthalpic plasmas with surfaces. A 100 kW torch is dedicated to this purpose while a smaller 2 kW torch is used for basic studies on plasma jets. The methodology of works carried out at CORIA is to carefully study the free jet as well as the interaction boundary layer on the one hand, and to closely couple experimental works with modelling activities on the other hand. The long experience of CORIA in plasma facilities is complemented by a skill of diagnostic techniques and especially laser measurements. Some recent studies are presented: the study of turbulence in a low pressure argon plasma, the quantification of the thermal non-equilibrium and NO production in an air plasma, the non-equilibrium recombination of CO2 under low pressure, and the observation of still and moving striations in CO2, argon and krypton.