Ionization, attachment and detachment in air and air-CO2 mixtures

Ionization coefficients have been obtained in dry air over the E/N range 90-260 Td. No evidence for attachment was observed in dry air. Small additions of CO 2 produced significant attachment in the air-CO 2 mixtures. This phenomenon is interpreted in terms of a fast detachment reaction occurring in pure air that is inhibited by the addition of CO 2 . Evidence is given that suggests that an excited state of molecular nitrogen is responsible for the absence of detectable electron attachment in air.