Influence of hydrogen an molecular ions N-2(+)(X (2)Sigma(+)(g)) and N-2(+)(B (2)Sigma(+)(u)) kinetic processes in direct current and direct current-pulse N-2-H-2 glow discharges

A comparative study of N-2-H-2 glow discharges produced either in a direct current (dc) or a low-frequency, dc-pulse condition is carried out by means of optical emission spectroscopy and laser induced fluorescence. The influ ence of a small quantity of hydrogen added to the nitrogen plasma gas on th e density of molecular ions is discussed. The preferential quenching of N-2 (+)(X(2)Sigma(g)(+)) by H-2 is shown and discussed in terms of the ionizing and populating processes in both the discharge phase and the afterglow.