Vibrational kinetics of electronically-excited N sub(2)(A super(3) capital sigma super(+) sub(u), v) molecules in nitrogen discharge plasma

A model on formation of the vibrational distribution function of metastable electronically excited N sub(2)(A super(3) capital sigma super(+) sub(u), v) states in nitrogen discharge plasma is presented. By means of comparison with the experimental data the rate constants for the reaction N sub(2)(A super(3) capital sigma super(+) sub(u), v) + N sub(2)(X super(1) capital sigma super(+) sub(g), v' = 0) arrow right N sub(2)(A super(3) capital sigma super(+) sub(u), v - 2) + N sub(2)(X super(1) capital sigma super(+) sub(g), v' = 1) have been clarified. It is assumed that the probability of population of N sub(2)(A super(3) capital sigma super(+) sub(u), v) states by collisional deactivation of N sub(2)(B super(3) capital pi sub(g), v') molecules is proportional to the Franck-Condon factors of correspondent N sub(2)(B super(3) capital pi sub(g), v') arrow right N sub(2)(A super(3) capital sigma super(+) sub(u), v) transitions, i.e. that the quenching is essentially vertical. The results of calculations carried out under this assumption are in agreement with measured N sub(2)(A super(3) capital sigma super(+) sub(u), v) vibrational distribution at the end of pulsed high current discharge in nitrogen. Study of a variation of the population of vibrational level N sub(2)(A super(3) capital sigma super(+) sub(u), v = 0) in the afterglow of streamer discharge in nitrogen at atmospheric pressure has been performed. It is shown that the dynamics of N sub(2)(A super(3) capital sigma super(+) sub(u), v = 0) number density depends essentially not only on their loss in the pooling reaction N sub(2)(A super(3) capital sigma super(+) sub(u), v) + N sub(2)(A super(3) capital sigma super(+) sub(u), v) arrow right product, but also on additional population due to the quenching of high vibrational levels. The fraction of dissociation channel in the process of N sub(2)(A super(3) capital sigma super(+) sub(u), v) deactivation by oxygen molecules have been calculated. It is shown that temporal evolution of the fraction of the dissociation channel is first of all associated with a variation of the relative population of the vibrational level N sub(2)(A super(3) capital sigma super(+) sub(u), v = 0). In air discharge plasma at high pressure, the population of N sub(2)(A super(3) capital sigma super(+) sub(u), v = 0) state is relatively low, so the fraction of the dissociation channel in the deactivation of all electronically excited states of nitrogen by oxygen exceeds 90-95%.