Measurement of Electron Excitation of the a 1 delta g State of 02 Using the Swarm Technique.

Measurements have been made of electron excitation coefficients for the a 1 delta g metastable state of O2. The measurements were made in mixtures 1 and 5 O2 in Ar for mean electron energies between about 0.9 and 4 eV. The measured excitation coefficients are about 30 above predictions for 1 O2 and about 30 below predictions for 5 O2. The measured rate coefficient for quenching of the O2a1 delta g state by O2 is in good agreement with the literature value, but the rate coefficient for quenching by Ar is about twice previously published values. Author