Electron Recombination Coefficient Measurements in Nitrogen at Low Pressures

Abstract

Rate coefficients for recombination in nitrogen have been determined experimentally with partial pressures ranging from 0.01 mm to 3.00 mm Hg. At the lower nitrogen pressures, inert gases were added as passive recoil agents to reduce diffusion losses in the afterglow of a pulsed microwave discharge. The apparent value of the recombination coefficient obtained from these measurements is 1.2±0.2×10−6 cm3 sec−1 for an electron temperature of approximately 300°K. The coefficient is constant within the experimental error, except at very low partial pressures of nitrogen where a small linear decrease is observed. The probable causes for this deviation are discussed. The magnitude of the rate coefficient and other evidence suggests that dissociative recombination is the most likely loss mechanism.