Ozone Generation with Narrow–Band UV Radiation

Ozone formation in oxygen at atmospheric pressure following the photodissociation of O2 molecules in the vacuum UV range is tudied. A new VUV source based on incoherent xenon excimer radiation from a dielectric–barrier discharge provided narrow–band UV radiation at 172 nm with a half–width of 14 nm. The formation of ozone from the initial photodissociation fragments O(3P) and O(1D) is treated theoretically and compared to measurements.