Spectroscopic investigations of N2(A3Σu+) metastables in the spatial ionisation growth in nitrogen

The authors describe a spectroscopic technique to investigate the transport processes of electrons and the quenching processes of excited metastable molecules under the condition of non-self-sustained Townsend discharges. The technique is applied to pure N 2 , and N 2 including NO as an impurity at E/N=282.5 Td and currents less than 10 -9 A. The quenching factor of N 2 (A 3 Sigma u + ) metastable by NO, defined by (1-(density of N 2 (A 3 Sigma u + ) in N 2 with NO)/(density of N 2 (A 3 Sigma u + ) in pure N 2 )), is measured as a function of total gas density from the emission spectrum both of the second positive bands of N 2 and of the gamma system of NO. The spatial profile of N 2 (A 3 Sigma u + ) is also monitored and estimated by the emission of the gamma system. It will be noted that half of the N 2 (A 3 Sigma u + ) metastables are deactivated with only 20 PPM of NO at N=1.94*10 17 cm -3 in the low pressure ionisation growth chamber. The results give a quantitative explanation for the rapid decrease of the secondary ionisation coefficient in N 2 in the presence of small amounts of the impurity. Also the radiative lifetime and the self-quenching rate coefficient are estimated in the present experimental conditions.