Evidence for charge exchange between N and N2(A Σu) in a low-temperature nitrogen plasma

The emission from the first negative system, N₂⁺(B ²Σ⁺_u)→N₂⁺(X ²Σ⁺_g)+hν, is studied in the flowing nitrogen afterglow of a DC arc plasma. Investigation of the spectrum shows overpopulation of the vibrational levels 6 and 7 of the excited molecular ion, N₂⁺(B ²Σ⁺_u). Selective excitation of these levels is explained by a charge exchange reaction between atomic ions in the ground state and metastable molecules in the N₂(A ³Σ⁺_u) state. The emitted intensity of the first negative system is shown to be linear with electron density n_e for n_e>2×10¹⁶ m⁻³, a higher-order dependence exists below this value. This is consistent with population of N₂⁺(B ²Σ⁺_u) by atomic ions, N⁺.