C-2 radicals were prepared from the overall reaction 4K + C2Cl4 --> 4K
Cl + C-2 and mixed with atomic nitrogen in a low-pressure fast-flow re
actor. CN(X-2 Sigma(+)) produced by the exoergic reaction N + C-2 -->
CN + C was probed by laser-induced fluorescence. Vibrational distribut
ions at different distances from the reactant mixing zone were determi
ned. Fitting of the evolution of the vibrational distribution, using a
kinetic scheme which included the collisional transfer between X-2 Si
gma(+) and A(2)II(i) vibrational levels and CN removal by the N + CN -
-> C + N-2 reaction, allowed to determine the nascent vibrational dist
ribution given by the N + C-2 reaction. This distribution was found to
be non-statistical and is compared to that obtained from the C + NO -
-> CN + O reaction in a previous crossed-beam study. (C) 1997 Elsevier
Science B.V.