Accession Number:

AD0653516

Title:

THE ROLE OF METASTABLE, NEUTRAL ELECTRONICALLY EXCITED SPECIES IN ATMOSPHERIC DEIONIZATION.

Descriptive Note:

Technical information series,

Corporate Author:

GENERAL ELECTRIC CO PHILADELPHIA PA MISSILE AND SPACE DIV

Personal Author(s):

• Kummler,R. H.
• Bortner,M. H.

Report Date:

1967-05-01

Pagination or Media Count:

92.0

Abstract:

The importance of metastable neutral electronically excited species to deionization in the post burst period is considered. Energy levels, lifetimes, production sources, reactions and depletion sinks for excited states of the important atmospheric constituents, N2, O2, O and N are discussed, and extant data on each is tabulated along with some data on minor species. Hypotheses drawn from examination of these tables are tested in an expanded Keneshea Code for numerical integration of the deionization equations. As a result of these calculations, it appears as though the deexcitation detachment reaction of O21delta-g with O2- is the most important detachment process at altitudes below 70 km, if its rate constant is of the same order as that for associative detachment reactions. Author

Descriptors:

• (*ATMOSPHERES
• *RECOMBINATION REACTIONS)
• (*OXYGEN
• EXCITATION)
• (*NITROGEN
• EXCITATION)
• ATOMIC ENERGY LEVELS
• MOLECULAR ENERGY LEVELS
• NEUTRALIZATION
• DISSOCIATION
• REACTION KINETICS
• ATMOSPHERE ENTRY
• AIRBURST

Subject Categories:

• Atmospheric Physics
• Atomic and Molecular Physics and Spectroscopy

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE