What is an arc jet and how does it work?
The Arc Jets are hyper-thermal test facilities that support the testing of thermal protection materials for any program, system or vehicle thats going at very high velocity in an atmosphere, anywhere in the universe. An arc jet is a device in which gases are heated and expanded to very high temperatures and at supersonic/hypersonic speeds by a continuous electrical arc between two sets of electrodes. The gases (typically air) pass through a nozzle aimed at a test sample in vacuum, and flow over it, producing a reasonable approximation of surface temperature and pressure and at gas enthalpies experienced by a vehicle on atmospheric entry..
