Modeling the electronic spectroscopy of dinitrogen

A numerical method for the simulation of the N2 electronic spectrum has been developed. Using this method, the spectrum for the C3piu (v ' = 0) → B3pi g (v″ = 3) rovibronic transition of molecular nitrogen is produced. Excellent agreement is achieved between the model spectrum and the spectrum measured in a high-voltage electrical discharge, assuming a Maxwell-Bolzmann population of rotational states (T = 400 K). Further, the purported "hydrino hydride hyperfine" spectrum, measured by Randell L. Mills, et al. at Blacklight Power, is well described by the same spectrum for nitrogen but with an inverted rotational state distribution (peaking at J = 20). The model that was developed is simple enough to use, that it may be used by undergraduate physical chemistry students to estimate the rotational temperature of nitrogen inside a discharge tube.