Accession Number:

AD0745925

Title:

Excitation and Deexcitation of Vibration in Gases by Oxygen and Nitrogen Atoms

Descriptive Note:

Semiannual technical rept. no. 1, 27 Dec 1971, 27 Jun 1972

Corporate Author:

STANFORD RESEARCH INST MENLO PARK CA

Personal Author(s):

• Black, Graham
• Eckstrom, Donald J,
• Sharpless, Robert L.

Report Date:

1972-07-12

Pagination or Media Count:

27.0

Abstract:

In the E region of the earths atmosphere, a number of exothermic chemical reactions occur that can produce N2, vibrationally excited nitrogen. In the lower E region below 125 km the major loss of nitrogen vibrational energy is by energy transfer to CO2, with subsequent radiation in the infrared principally at 4.3 micrometers. The report discusses two of the main processes that have been considered for producing N2 Nquadruplet S NO yields N2 Otriplet P 3.27 ev and Osinglet D N2 yields N2 Otriplet P 1.96 ev. A second aspect of the atmospheric processes powering emissions through N2 concerns the reactions that can quench it in the upper atmosphere. The rate coefficients for the V-T energy exchange with Otriplet P in the upper E region are not known for the temperatures found in the earths atmosphere. A second goal has, therefore, been measurement of this rate for temperatures approaching 1200K or lower, using a shock tube.

Descriptors:

• *NITROGEN
• *UPPER ATMOSPHERE
• ATOMS
• EXCITATION
• MOLECULAR ENERGY LEVELS
• NITROGEN OXIDES
• OXYGEN
• REACTION KINETICS
• RELAXATION TIME
• VIBRATION

Subject Categories:

• Atmospheric Physics

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE