Electron energy deposition in N 2 gas

The processes by which energetic electrons lose energy in a weakly ionized gas of molecular nitrogen are analysed and calculations are carried out taking into account the discrete nature of the excitation processes. The excitation, ionization, dissociation and heating efficiencies are computed for energies up to 200 eV absorbed in a gas with fractional ionizations varying from 10(-6) to 10 (-2). Individual vibrational excitations up to the seventh vibrational level are presented.