The presence of a partially ionized gas around a hypersonic vehicle permits the application of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) devices during re-entry. The operation of such MHD devices on a re-entry vehicle will largely depend on the magnitude of the electrical conductivity of the gas between the electrodes. In some cases it may be necessary to seed the air in order to insure high conductivity. The operation of the re-entry vehicle at relatively low gas densities and high magnetic fields will produce Hall and ion slip effects which may materially reduce the effective conductivity between the electrodes. The electrical conductivity including Hall and ion slip effects for air is presented for a wide range of pressures and temperatures and for a typical re-entry vehicle, with and without seeding. The electrical conductivity is evaluated for equilibrium conditions considering the number density and collision cross sections for electrons, neutrals, and ions. The Hall and ion slip effects are evaluated from the degree of ionization, the cyclotron frequency, and the time between collisions for electrons, neutrals, and ions.
Electrical Conductivity of a Partially Ionized Gas