Chemiluminescence from C2 produced by C3 oxidation

The reaction of molecular carbon vapor with oxygen has been studied in a flowing system. For an equilibrium disitribution of carbon molecular species at 2470 K, the dominant reaction observed was: C₃ + O₂ → C^*₂(d³II, ν′ = 1) + CO + O (or CO₂). Of the product species, only excited C₂ was detected. From these measurements a lower bound on the rate constant has been determined to be k ≥ 2 × 10^?12 cm³/s.