Chemical kinetic model of the chain reaction of atmospheric nitrogen oxidation initiated by electric discharge

Abstract

To develop an adequate mathematical description of explosion in air observed under the specific conditions of electric discharge initiation, we considered a chemical kinetic model of interaction between two chain reactions: NO oxidation, which provides high concentration of О atoms required for obtaining nitrogen oxide in the processes O + N₂(A³Σ_u⁺) → O(¹S) and O(¹S)–N₂ + O → NO + NO(B²Π) and nitrogen oxidation, which leads to electronically excited NO₂* molecules required for the formation of О atoms in the oxidation of NO. This positive feedback leads to an avalanche-like increase in the concentration of О atoms and the rate of both chain reactions, i.e., causes an explosion in air initiated by electric discharge.