Formation of vibrationally excited N2O in the reaction of nitrogen atoms with NO2

Infrared emission from the reaction N + NO2 = N2O + O + 41⋅7 kcal/mole is shown to result from the formation of N2O molecules with vibrational excitation of all three normal modes. Approximately 70% of molecules are formed with excitation of one quantum of v3 together with up to 10 quanta of v2, and 20-25 % with v1 excited alone or with v2, but only 3 % have both stretching modes (v1 and v3) excited. Some 37 % of the energy released in the reaction enters vibration of N2O. Vibrationally excited NO up to at least v' = 5, is formed in the parallel reaction N + NO2 = NO + NO + 77⋅8 kcal/mole.