Determination of rotational and vibrational temperatures by means of a tunable CO2 laser

Knowledge of the rotational and vibrational temperatures of carbon dioxide is of importance in the study of gasdynamic-laser characteristics. In the present paper, the application of a CO2 laser, tunable with respect to rotational lines, to the determination of gas temperatures is studied analytically and experimentally. The application of the method to the determination of gas temperatures behind a shock front and at the nozzle exit section in a gasdynamic laser is demonstrated.