MICROWAVE DETERMINATION OF AFTERGLOW TEMPERATURES AND ELECTRON COLLISION FREQUENCIES IN NITROGEN AND OXYGEN

The results of microwave attenuation, phase shift and radiation temperature measurements in the late afterglows of pulsed oxygen discharges of various types are discussed from the point of view of the collision frequency and G-factor determination. A new general theory for the evaluation of the G- factor from the radiation temperature increases under microwave heating conditions is reported. The values computed with this theory in nitrogen are in very good agreement with the previous diffusion measurements by Crompton and Sutton, whereas in oxygen the agreement with the measurements by Healey and Kirkpatrick is much less satisfactory.