Reactions of N+4 with O2, CO2, H2, and D2 and mobilities of N+4 in nitrogen

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Abstract
The rate constants for the reaction of N+4 with O2, CO2, H2, and D2 have been studied as a function of mean relative kinetic energy in a flow‐drift tube using a nitrogen buffer gas. The N+2/N+4 equilibrium, which would otherwise deleteriously effect such a study, was suppressed by adding a trace of H2 as a purge gas that preferentially reacted with N+2. The reaction rates of N+4 with CO2 and O2 are found to be fast and independent of energy from 0.04 to 0.16 eV. The reactions of N+4 with H2 and D2, however, have very small rates at room temperature, but the rates increase dramatically with increasing energy, an effect that is attributed to a sensitivity of the reactions to N+4 vibrational excitation. The reaction of N+4 with H2 was studied as a function of temperature and an activation energy obtained. The mobility of N+4 in N2 was extended to higher E/N values than could be done in earlier studies since the effects of the N+2/N+4 equilibrium were suppressed in the present investigation.