Shock-Tube Study of the Dissociation Rate of CN

The rate of the reaction CN+Ar→C+N+Ar is estimated to be 2.5 ± 1 × 10−10exp[(− 71 000 ± 6000) / T] cm3sec−1 over the temperature range 7000°–15 000°K from a study of the decay of CN radiation excited by the passage of a shock wave through a mixture of BrCN and Ar. The formation of C2 and N2 introduces a major uncertainty in the interpretation of the results.