Spectroscopic Study of Controlled Proton Impact on Molecular Nitrogen

Protons of energy 5-130 keV were passed into molecular nitrogen gas at low pressure and the resulting radiation spectroscopically analyzed. Prominent emissions studied were: (1) two NII lines located at λ5005 {} and λ5680 {}; (2) bands of the N₂⁺ first negative band system (B²Σ-X²Σ); and (3) two Balmer lines, H_α and H_β, formed by charge changing collisions with nitrogen molecules. Absolute cross sections for the production of these emissions were measured as a function of the energy of the incident protons. Population cross sections for the $v=0$ and $v=1$ levels of the B²Σ state of N₂⁺ were obtained as well as an estimate of the level population cross section of the $n=3$ and $n=4$ levels of atomic hydrogen formed by charge exchange.