Radiation and electron decomposition of molecules

The absorption wavelengths quoted here are for the complete dissociation of these molecules to the atoms in their ground state. The thermochemical data also show that a temperature of nearly 4000 K is required before the atomic oxygen concentration is equal to that of molecular oxygen, and almost 7000 K for the nitrogen atom population to be equal to the molecular nitrogen concentration, at one atmosphere pressure. 

The use of irradiation or electron bombardment offers an alternative approach to molecular dissociation to the use of elevated temperatures, and offers a number of practical advantages. Intensive sources of radiation in the visible and near-visible are produced by flash photolysis, in which a bank of electrical capacitors is discharged through an inert gas such as krypton to produce up to 105 joule for a period of about 10 4 s, or by the use of high power laser beams (Eastham, 1986 (loc.cit.)). A more sustainable source of radiation is obtained from electrical discharge devices usually incorporating 

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