Rocket-Plume Spectroscopy Simulation for Hydrocarbon-Fueled Rocket Engines

Enhanced simulation includes code for new electronic bands in the 300-to-850-nm spectral bands.

The UV-Vis spectroscopic system for plume diagnostics monitors rocket engine health by using several analytical tools developed at Stennis Space Center (SSC), including the rocket plume spectroscopy simulation code (RPSSC), to identify and quantify the alloys from the metallic elements observed in engine plumes. Because the hydrocarbon-fueled rocket engine is likely to contain C₂, CO, CH, CN, and NO in addition to OH and H₂O, the relevant electronic bands of these molecules in the spectral range of 300 to 850 nm in the RPSSC have been included.