Rotational relaxation of nitrogen in ternary mixtures N2–CO2–H2O: Consequences in coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy thermometry

Abstract

The influence of CO2 and H2O on the rotational relaxation processes of N2 in ternary mixtures N2–CO2–H2O is investigated. The efficiency of these perturbers is responsible for significant modifications of the state-to-state relaxation rates and broadening coefficients. Flame data are well reproduced by taking into account these modifications. The role of these minor species in the determination of temperatures in premixed flames is analyzed. The present relaxation model allows us to understand why the discrepancy between observed and calculated coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy (CARS) spectra in flames is sometimes resolved by empirically adding a dephasing component to pure nitrogen linewidths. Moreover, this model improves the accuracy of CARS temperature measurements.