Photochemistry of N2O Essential to a Simplified Vacuum-Ultraviolet Actinometer

The net number of molecules generated per quantum absorbed (ΦΔn) in the photodecomposition of N2O with 1849-Å light was shown to be 1.00±0.05 in the range 4 to 214 torr N2O at room temperature. Direct measurement of ΦNO at initial pressures of from 5 to 30 torr N2O, and the constancy of ΦΔn over a large N2O pressure range, indicate that ΦNO probably does not change with N2O pressure under the above conditions. In most other respects, our results agree with those of other workers. It is shown that ΦΔn should be 1.00±0.05 in the range 1380–2100 Å, and that ΦΔn should be ∼0.8 in the range 1200–1380 Å.