Nitrogen atom recombination in high pressure Ar-N₂flowing post-discharges

The afterglow resulting from the nitrogen atom recombination in a flowing Ar-N 2 microwave discharge (915 MHz and 100 W) is characterized by the first positive emission from N 2 (B,V'). This emission occurs with a vibrational enhancement which is shifted from V'=11 in pure nitrogen to V'=8 in an Ar-2%N 2 mixture. The N-N recombination rates producing N 2 (B,V') in Ar-x%N 2 mixtures (x varies from 2-100%) were calculated from the measurement of the first positive emission intensity by spectrometry and the determination of the nitrogen atom concentration by a NO titration. Normalized values were obtained from previous published data in pure nitrogen.