The excitation mechanism for the C³Π_ustate of nitrogen in glow discharge

Abstract

Intensity measurements on bands of the second positive system of nitrogen have been made over a wide range of conditions in the position column of a nitrogen discharge. The measurements have been used to obtain relative population of the vibrational levels of the C3 Pi u state. Calculated excitation probabilities are examined for some of the possible excitation processes contributing to these populations. As a result of using these in conjunction with the measurements, it is suggested that in a positive column, the main process for populating the C3 Pi u state is direct excitation by electrons from the ground state (x1 Sigma g), the part played by other processes being very small.