The response of propellants to plasma radiation

Experiments have been done in which standard and research propellants were exposed to the visible and infrared light from a high-energy plasma discharge. Measurements of mass lost by the sample, analysis of the infrared spectra of evolved gases, and optical microscopy have been used to characterize the response. In addition, the response for graphite-free JA2 conditioned to hot and cold temperatures has shown that the magnitude of the response for this material is stronger for hot samples. Overall, the samples show strong response when the light can penetrate farther into the samples; the response is limited to a thin layer at the surface for composite propellants.