An experimental study has been made of the gaseous drag torque on an isolated sphere rotating at high Mach numbers. The sphere was suspended electromagnetically and spun by induction. The drag torque has been measured through the transition régime from continuum to free molecule flow at Mach numbers (based on equatorial speed) of up to about five. These high Mach numbers were achieved in heavy vapours (diiodomethane, germanium tetrabromide and stannic bromide) with sonic speed as little as a quarter of that in air. To measure the pressure in the vapour a second (smaller) rotating sphere was used as a pressure gauge. The results agree well with those previously obtained and show an unexpected Mach number dependence in the transition régime.
