Production of NH(X(3)Sigma(-)) radicals in the reaction of N(2(2)D) with CH4: Nascent rotational and vibrational distributions of NH

Two-photon dissociation of NO was employed to produce N(D-2) and to study its reaction with CH4. NH(X(3) Sigma(-)) could be detected by laser-induced fluorescence. The nascent rotational and vibrational state distributions of NH were determined. The vibrational population ratio NH(upsilon '' = 1)/NH(upsilon '' = 0) was 0.6, while the rotational distributions were unimodal and hotter than the prior ones. These distributions are similar to those of OH(X(2)II) produced in the reaction of O(D-1(2)) with CH4, suggesting that N(D-2) inserts into the C-H bonds.