Excitation of N2(C 3Πu) and NO(A 2Σ+) states in a pulsed positive corona discharge in N2, N2-O2 and N2-NO mixtures

Time resolved multichannel emission spectroscopy has been applied to study emission in the 200-500 nm spectral range produced by a pulsed positive corona discharge. The discharge was driven in coaxial geometry by an HV power supply (100 kV/1 kA) at atmospheric pressure in nitrogen, and in N-2 + NO and N-2 + O-2 mixtures. Emission of NO-gamma (A(2)Sigma(+)-X(2)Pi(r)) and N-2 2.PG (C(3)Pi(u)-B(3)Pi(g)) bands has been studied in order to trace the development of NO(A(2)Sigma(+)) and N-2(C(3)Pi(u)) electronic states during both discharge and post-discharge periods. Analysis of spectroscopic data indicates an evolution of the electron mean energy during the discharge pulse in the range 20-1 eV and post-discharge kinetics of the NO(A(2)Sigma(+)) and N-2(C(3)Pi(u)) electronic states which is predominantly controlled by N-2(A(3)Sigma(u)(+), v = 0, 1) metastable species.