Preface 1. Introduction I. A Brief Description of Active Nitrogen and Its Discovery II. The Energy Content of Active Nitrogen and the Bond Dissociation Energy of N2 III. Methods by Which Active Nitrogen May Be Produced 2. Light Emission from Active Nitrogen Systems I. The Molecular Spectrum of Nitrogen II. Emission from Molecular Species with Electronic Energy Levels below 9.76 eV 1. The First Positive System of N2, B3Πg → A 3Σu+ (5000-25,000 Å) 2. The "Y" Bands of N2, B'3Σu → B 3Πg (6000-10,800 Å) 3. The Vegard-Kaplan System of N2, A 3Σu+ → X 1Σg+ (2100-5000 Å) 4. The Lyman-Birge-Hopfield System of N2, a 1Πg → X 1Σg+ (1200-2600 Å) III. Emission from Molecular Species with Electronic Energy Levels above 9.76 eV 2. The Goldstein-Kaplan System of N2, C' 3Πu → B 3Πg (2850-5100 Å) 3. The Birge-Hopfield Systems of N2, b 1Πu, and b' 1Σu+ → X 1Σg+ (930-1650 Å) 4. The First Negative System of N2+, B 2Σu+ → X 2Σg+ (2900-5900 Å) IV. Emission from Atomic Nitrogen V. Emission from Condensed Active Nitrogen or Activated Solid Nitrogen VI. Summary of Light-Emitting Systems of Active Nitrogen 3. Afterglow Species, Their Lifetimes and Concentrations I. Atomic Species l. N(4S) 2. N(2D) 3. N(2P) 4. N(3s 4P) 5. N(3s 2P) 6. N(sp4 4P) 7. N(S6) II. Molecular Species with Energy Content Less than 9.76 eV 1. N2+ (Vibrationally Excited Molecule in the Ground Electronic State) 2. N2(A 3Σu+) 3. N2(B 3Πg) 4. N2(3Δu) 5. N2(B' 3Σu-) 6. N2(a' 1Σu-) 7. Ν2(a 1Πg) 8. N2(w 1Δu) 9. N2(5Σu+) III. Molecular Species with Energy Content Greater than 9.76 eV 1. N2(C 3Πu) 2. N2(C' 3Πu) 3. N2(b 1Πu) and N2(b' 1Σu+) 4. Ν2+(Χ 2Σg+) 5. N2+(B 2Σu+) IV. Other Species 1. The N3 Radical 2. Electrons 3. Ions Other than N2+(X 2Σg+) and N2+(B 2Σu+) V. Summary 4. Theories of Active Nitrogen I. The Long-Lived Lewis-Rayleigh Afterglow 1. Older Theories 2. The Ionic Theory of Mitra 3. Modern Theories II. The Short-Lived, Energetic Afterglow 5. Chemical Reactions of Active Nitrogen I. Recombination of N(4S) Atoms 1. Homogeneous Recombination 2. Heterogeneous Recombination II. Survey of Reactions Investigated 1. Reactions Followed Mainly by Induced Light Emission 2. Reactions Followed by Analysis for the Products Formed III. Mechanisms for Reactions of Active Nitrogen That Appear to Involve Direct N(4S) Attack IV. Rate Constants for Reactions Presumably Induced by Direct N(4S) Attack V. Reactions Possibly Induced by Excited Nitrogen Molecule Attack 1. Survey of Reaction Systems That Might Be Involved 2. Rate Constants for Reactions Assumed to Be Initiated by a Collision of the Second Kind Bibliography Author Index Subject Index