Acoustical measurements of vibrational relaxation in moist N2 at elevated temperatures
Sound absorption measurements are conducted by the resonant tube technique to study vibrational relaxation in moist N2 at 301, 343, and 387 K. Analysis of the data shows that improved measurement accuracy at the higher temperatures establishes vibrational-vibrational energy transfer as the operative relaxation path for the de-excitation of N2 by H2O beyond the uncertainty of experimental error. The best-fitted temperature dependence of the vibrational-vibrational rate constant is given, noting that the expression is consistent with seven independent sets of both acoustical and nonacoustical data.