Eur. Phys. J. D 56, 325-334 (2010)
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2009-00313-4

Temperature dependence of the quenching of N₂ (C ³ Π_u) by N₂ (X) and O₂ (X)

¹ LIP-Coimbra and Departamento de Física, Universidade de Coimbra, 3004-516 Coimbra, Portugal
² Physik Department E12, Technische Universität München, 85748 Garching, Germany
³ Coherent GmbH, Zielstattstrasse 32, 81379 München, Germany

Corresponding author: andrei@coimbra.lip.pt

Received: 27 August 2009
Revised: 13 November 2009
Published online: 22 December 2009

Abstract

The temperature dependences of the quenching rate constants of the states N₂ ( v^′=0,1) by N₂ (X) and of the state N₂ () by O₂ (X) are studied. Time-resolved light emission from the gas was analyzed in the temperature range from 300 K to 210 K keeping the gas at constant density. In case of quenching by N₂ (X), the quenching rate constant for the vibrational level v^′ = 0 increases by (13 ±3)% with gas cooling whereas the quenching rate constant for v^′ = 1 decreases by (5.0 ±2.5)% in this temperature range. For quenching by O₂ (X), the quenching rate constant decreases by (3 ±2)% with gas cooling. The temperature variation of the N₂ (C ³Π_u v^′=0) emission intensity for pure nitrogen and dry air are calculated using the obtained quenching rate constants and is compared with the experimental data available in the literature.