Emission of Vacuum Ultraviolet Radiation from the Acetylene-Oxygen and the Methane-Oxygen Reactions in Shock Waves

The C2H2–O2 and CH4–O2 reactions were studied by observing the emission of vacuum ultraviolet radiation from shock waves in gas mixtures containing 85 to 99% Ar and with 2×10−6≤[O2]≤60×10−6 moles/l. In both reactions after an induction period of length ti, the emission intensity rises exponentially with a time constant τ and then decreases about as rapidly. For the C2H2–O2 reaction, emission predominantly in the wavelength range 1500