EXPERIMENTAL AND THEORETICAL INVESTIGATION OF A N-2-O-2 DC FLOWING GLOW-DISCHARGE

A study has been performed to investigate the kinetics of production of N atoms and NO molecules in Dc N-2-O-2 flowing glow discharges at pressure p = 2.0 Torr for discharge currents I = 15, 30, 80 mA. Measurements of the plasma parameters, reduced electric field EIN, electronic density n(e), as well as of the gas temperature T-g, the vibrational temperature T-v of N-2 molecules and the concentration of N atoms and NO molecules have been carried out over the whole range of oxygen percentages (0-100%). This set of measurements is compared to the results of a one-dimensional model including a detailed vibrational kinetics, a large number of chemical reactions and the thermal balance of the discharge.