EXPLANATION OF MEMORY CURVE FOR NITROGEN BY SURFACE-CATALYZED EXCITATION

A theory and numerical model are proposed that explain the dependence of time delay on afterglow period, t(d)BAR = f(tau) (the memory curve) , for the Cu-N2 system by surface-catalysed excitation at nitrogen ato m recombination on the cathode. The kinetics in the late nitrogen afte rglow are determined by nitrogen atom recombination. It is shown that the nitrogen atom recombination on the container walls (glass) is of s econd order in N (the recombination on copper is of first order). The probability of the metastable formation of N2(A3SIGMA(u)+) by recombin ation at the electrode surface is determined. The electron yield in th e interelectrode space caused by metastable secondary emission (the Au ger de-excitation process) determines the time delay. On the basis of this mechanism, the time-delay method is very efficient in detecting n itrogen atoms.