Infrared emission by active nitrogen II. The kinetic behaviour of N2(B3n II2)

The kinetics of the emission of low levels (v = 0- 4) of N2(B3IIg) in active nitrogen have been studied in nitrogen and in argon carriers. In argon carriers at low pressures, these levels are populated by emission of the Y bands N2(B '32^->-B3IIg) and the 1+ bands (B 3IIg->A 3i ;!,v = 7- 13) followed by collision induced transitions to the B state for which the rate coefficient is found to be ca. 2 x 10-13 cm3 molecule-1 s-1. In nitrogen carriers the efficient quenching of N2(B) and N2(B') by N2 produces a somewhat similar population of N2(A) and N2(B). The dependence of the emission kinetics on [N] and its quenching by C0 2 are shown to arise from removal of the N2(A) precursor by N or by C0 2.