Measurements of the Diffusion Coefficient of Atomic Nitrogen in Molecular Nitrogen and the Catalytic Efficiency of Silver and Copper Oxide Surfaces

Abstract

By utilizing the first positive bands of nitrogen to monitor the decay of atomic nitrogen caused by diffusion to a catalytic surface, the diffusion coefficient of atomic nitrogen in molecular nitrogen has been investigated, leading to a probable value of 280/p cm2 sec—1. The catalytic efficiency γ of silver and copper oxide surfaces is found to be of the general form γ=a/(bp+c), where p is the molecular nitrogen pressure, b and c are constants for each surface, and a is a constant independent of the surface.