Experimental Determination of the Oscillator Strength of the First Negative Bands of N2+

Abstract

The radiative lifetime of the upper state of the 3914 A transition of N₂⁺ was measured to be (6.58±0.35) 10^—8 sec, corresponding to an oscillator strength f of (3.48±0.20) 10^—2. The apparent radiative lifetime of the upper state of the 3371 A transition of the second positive system of N₂ was found to depend upon the conditions of excitation. Extrapolation to excitation threshold yields a lifetime of (4.45±0.6) 10^—8 sec.