THE EFFECT OF SUPERELASTIC ELECTRON-MOLECULE COLLISIONS ON THE VIBRATIONAL-ENERGY DISTRIBUTION FUNCTION

Energy transfer between highly vibrationally excited CO molecules and low-energy electrons is studied using kinetic modeling. The results ar e compared with those of experimental measurements in optically pumped CO. The effect of vibrational energy transfer by electrons from the h igh towards the low vibrational levels of CO, previously observed in t he experiments, is reproduced in calculations. The best agreement with the experiment is obtained for an electron concentration in the plasm a of n(e) = 2 x 10(11) cm(-3), which is consistent with the previous m easurements of the vibrationally stimulated ionization rate. The resul ts of kinetic modelling calculations provide better insight into the k inetics of energy exchange between vibrationally excited molecules and electrons.