On N 2(C 3Π u, v = 0) state lifetime and collisional deactivation rate by N 2

Abstract

We have applied optical–optical double resonance laser induced fluorescence (OODR-LIF) to the measurement of N 2(C 3Π u, v = 0) state lifetime and electronic quenching by N 2 in the pressure range from 10 −2 to 35 Torr. The OODR process starts from the N 2 ( A 3 Σ u + , v = 0) metastable produced in a small dielectric barrier discharge. The arrangement is free of both resonance trapping and cascade processes. We have found a lifetime of (36.63 ± 0.29) ns and an electronic quenching rate coefficient that depends on the pressure range, but in a much milder fashion than reported in the literature.