Laser Diagnostics of Energized Atmospheric Air

The time dependent behavior of molecular nitrogen ions, following pulsed photoionization of near atmospheric pressure N2, has been investigated using multi-photon laser techniques and kinetic modeling. Measured time dependent fluorescence~spectra, during and after pulsedlaser resonance-enhanced multi-photon ionization of N2, together with a coupled rate equation model, allowed for the determination of the absolute densities of N2+ and N4+ as these species evolved.