Theoretical Estimates of Vibrational Relaxation in Nitrogen up to 40,000 K

Vibrational relaxation of N 2 molecules is considered at temperatures up to 40,000 K in gas mixtures contain electrons as well as heavy collision partners. The theory of vibrational excitation due to N 2 -N 2 collisions is fit to experimental data to 10,000 K by choice of the shape of the intermolecular potential and size of the collision cross section. These values are then used to extrapolate the theory to 40,000 K. Electron collisions promote vibrations transitions much more readily than the heavy particle collisions; and equilibration of vibrational temperature with the electron temperature occurs almost instantaneously for many practical purposes