Determination of relaxation times of N2 (v=1) level in presence of water vapor

The vibrational kinetics in CO₂-N₂-H₂O and CO-N₂-H₂O mixtures behind a reflected shock were investigated in the temperature range 500–1500°K by measurement of the intensity of the infrared emission of the gas. The vibrational relaxation time of nitrogen after collision with water molecules is obtained. The reasons for the disagreement of the presently available experimental data on the rate of this process are analyzed.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 6, pp. 84–89, June, 1978.