What are you trying to do? Articulate your objectives using absolutely no jargon.
Measure kinetics for high temperature surface reactions responsible for etching, sublimation, and passivation of materials like carbon, ultra-high temperature ceramics (e.g. HfC).
How is it done today, and what are the limits of current practice?
Arc or plasma torches, or oven/furnace methods. Typically measure phenomenological rates for mass loss or oxide layer thickening. Oven/furnace methods limited in upper temperature acheivable.
What is new in your approach and why do you think it will be successful?
We trap single particles in the gas phase, laser heat, measure temperature by emission spectroscopy, and determine reaction rates by measuring particle mass loss. Single particle work is complemented by surface science and microscopy measurements.
Who cares? If you are successful, what difference will it make?
There is interest in developing and modeling materials for non-ablative thermal protective layers, and our work provides rates for microscopic reactions involved in etching, sublimation, oxide decomposition/desorption, and passivation as a function of temperature.