Catalyzed Dissociation of N2 in Microwave Discharges. I

Abstract

Atomic nitrogen, produced from very pure nitrogen in a microwave discharge and detected by means of electron paramagnetic resonance, was increased from 2.0×10¹³ atoms/cm³ to 1.2×10¹⁵ atoms/cm³ by the addition of ≈5×10¹² molecules/cm³ of SF₆ to the gas before the discharge; the pink glow intensity also is increased several orders of magnitude and its time duration extended by ≈10. Nitric oxide and oxygen increase the number of atoms leaving the discharge to the same extent as SF₆, but much larger amounts must be added. When nitric oxide is added between the discharge and the subsequent pink glow, comparable increases in atomic nitrogen concentration (≈20 times) are observed without the production of oxygen atoms.