Design and Construction of an Apparatus to Measure the Excitation Cross Sections of Molecular Nitrogen When Bombarded by Low Energy Electrons

摘要

An apparatus was designed and constructed to measure the absolute cross sections for forming the B doublet Sigma(u)(+) state of N2(+), which gives rise to the first negative band system of N2(+); and the C triplet pi(u) state of N2, which gives rise to the second positive band system of N2, in the lowest vibrational energy level when gaseous molecular nitrogen is bombarded by electrons in the energy range 50 eV to 2,000 eV. The machine was constructed such that the reaction rate will be measured by counting the photons from the electromagnetic decay of these states while the gas is in a steady state condition. (Author)