Kewley, Douglas John2010-09-062011-01-042010-09-062011-01-04b10162392http://hdl.handle.net/1885/49363A theoretical and experimental study of the vibrational and chemical relaxation rates of diatomic gases, in flows behind shock waves and along nozzles,is made here. ¶ The validity of the conventional relaxation rate models, which are generally used to analyse experiments, is tested by developing a detailed microscopic description of the diatomic relaxation processes. ...enThe Australian National Universityhypersonic flow, high temperature gas dynamics, nitrogen dissociation, shock tunnel, nonequilibrium nozzle flows, vibrational relaxation of hydrogen and nitrogen, V-V and V-T energy exchanges, vibrational Master equation, shock waves197510.25911/5d7a2d3a60cf8