A New Nitrogen Afterglow Spectrum

Abstract

IN a communication in these columns¹ I directed attention to the presence of two members of the Vegard-Kaplan system of nitrogen in the spectrum of the afterglow that was discovered by me in 1934². Although very weak, the presence of these bands was the first direct proof of the existence of meta-stable molecules in active nitrogen. The spectrum of this afterglow was a very faithful reproduction of the auroral spectrum.