Reddit mentions of Rocket Exhaust Plume Phenomenology

Interesting, I have this book. It's actually pretty good, although it is definitely aimed at breadth, and not depth. It goes over some basic principles, but the main thrust (hyuk hyuk) of the book is to discuss the properties of rocket plumes, themselves, and some of the analytical codes that are available to model them. It goes into decent coverage, but it is definitely a survey book. But for only $30, it's not a bad buy.

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Typically fuel-rich combustion processes will show signs of afterburning. One thing to note is that combustion does not emit solely in the visible spectrum. A very good book to read about rocket plumes is by Simmons: [http://www.amazon.com/Rocket-Exhaust-Plume-Phenomenology-Simmons/dp/188498908X]. I actually think it is the only book/resource I ever found about rocket plumes that wasn't sensitive.

It is one of the few books that openly published technical characteristics of rocket plume behavior. It is a very good book. Although the book focuses mainly on how plumes are formed, you can tell that the book hints at how to interpret rocket characteristics from rocket plume behavior, that is propellant combination, pressure, thrust, altitude. I think the book also talks about distinguishing oil pipeline fires from ballistic missile launches. It's quite interesting.