Determination of N2(A) population from optical emission spectra

We studied the low pressure high power pulsed micro-wave discharge produced in the experimental device with suppressed influence of wall reactions. This work is focused on the afterglow. Using the experimental results, the elementary plasma processes in such type of discharge are discussed, mainly the kinetics of metastable states. It enables us to derive absolute density of nitrogen metastable molecules from relative evolution of emission of second positive system of N2.