Spectroscopic diagnostics of R.F. discharges at moderate pressure and chemical applications—I. Pure nitrogen

A vibro-rotational analysis has been performed of the second positive system (SPS) of N₂ and of the first negative system (FNS) of N⁺₂ emitted by 35 MHz discharges in flowing nitrogen operated at pressures of 5–50 torr and power densities of the order of 1–10 W-cm^-3. The distributions of the vibrational and of the rotational levels follow Boltzmann's law in both the SPS and the FNS with T_v = 4000°K and T_R = 2800°K for the N₂(C³Π_u) state and T_v = 5100°K and T_R = 5800°K for the N⁺₂(B²Σ⁺_g) state and independent of pressure. Kinetic gas temperatures are between 1200 and 2000°K and increase with pressure; electron temperatures are in the range 15,000–9,500°K. The reversal of line intensities of the SPS and of the FNS observed with increasing pressure has been tentatively interpreted. Possible chemical implications of these results have been examined.