Abstract

Several reports in the literature imply that extremely large number densities of metastable nitrogen molecules may be found in the effluents of dielectric-barrier (ozonizer) discharges in flowing nitrogen. We have constructed a dielectric-barrier discharge which operates at 1 to 10 kV in flowing nitrogen or nitrogen mixtures with either argon or helium at total pressures between 0.3 and 6 Torr. Spectroscopic observations in the afterglow of this discharge indicate that virtually all observed excitation between 200 and 850 nm results from discharge streamers. All emissions are quenched upon adding a grounded loop downstream from the discharge. The absence of NO gamma-band emission when NO is added downstream from the grounded loop indicates that N₂(<i>A</i>) number densities in the afterglow are below 10⁵ molecules cm⁻³, some ten orders of magnitude below previous estimates.

Dielectric barrier discharge pumped N₂ laser

Jürgen Köhler
Appl. Opt. 33(18) 3812-3815 (1994)

Mechanism of the Short-Duration Nitrogen Afterglow

O. Oldenberg
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 61(8) 1092-1098 (1971)

Infrared emission spectroscopy of glow discharge formed in low pressure atmospheric gases

H. Sakai, P. Hansen, M. Esplin, R. Johansson, M. Peltola, and J. Strong
Appl. Opt. 21(2) 228-235 (1982)

Enhancement of the 2062-Å Atomic-Iodine Line in an Iodine Inert-Gas Flashlamp

Algird G. Leiga and John A. McInally
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 57(3) 317-322 (1967)

Spectroscopic Study of the Early Helium Afterglow*

William S. Bickel and C. R. Burnett
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 55(11) 1504-1508 (1965)