Optical Excitation of N2by 0.5 to 1.5 Mev Hydrogenic Ions

Spectroscopic studies have been made upon the luminosities produced by 0.5 to 1.5 Mev beams of H + , HH + , HHH + in N 2 at pressures below 100 μ Hg. Photography and identification of spectra, measurement of the variation of intensities of spectral features with pressure, and spectroscopic temperature measurements confirm a primary mechanism of single collision ionization with excitation. Effects of secondary excitation processes by secondary electrons produced in the primary processes are discussed.