RECOMBINATION OF METHYL RADICALS AT HIGH-TEMPERATURES

The recombination of methyl radicals generated by pyrolysis of azomethane-Ar mixtures and detected by coincidence absorption of the zinc 213.9 nm atomic line was studied in incident shock waves at temperatures from 1300 to 1700 K and densities from 2 x 10(-6) to 9 x 10(-6) mol/cm3. A simultaneous regression analysis based upon large factorial design computer simulations was used to solve the inverse problem of parameter identification and to determine optimal values of rate coefficient and other parameters. The rate coefficient found for the recombination channel is in agreement with a previously published nine-parameter weak collision model.