The phenomenon of 'spreading',outside an electron beam, of the first and second positive bands of nitrogen

Abstract

Using a well defined electron beam to excite nitrogen in a collision chamber, observations made of the light emitted from the regions of the chamber outside the geometry of the beam showed that the first and second positive band systems were present and also the second negative band system to a lesser extent. The process N2(A3 Sigma +u)+N2(A3 Sigma +u)+N2(x1 Sigma +g) to N2(C3 Pi u)+N2(X1 Sigma +g)+N2(x1 Sigma +g) is proposed to account for the spreading of the second positive bands. This process also contributes to the spread of the first positive bands and is supplemented by the process suggested in 1934 by Thompson and Williams so that the larger spread is accounted for.