Introduction

This chapter contains a survey of the pertinent data to date affecting the chemical aspects of flows at hypersonic speeds. The first paper by S. H. Bauer of Cornell University is a summary of work in the whole field of chemical kinetics, including a discussion of the physical chemists r interest in some of the techniques used in the study of hypersonics or high temperature gasdynamics. It is well to keep in mind, when estimating chemical effects in hypersonic flow fields, the general laws established previously by workers in the field of chemical kinetics, and the editors are grateful to Bauer for outlining these laws.