Nonequilibrium dissociation and recombination rates in nitrogen: From shock waves to discharge conditions

A discussion about the validity of state-to-state and total weighted dissociation and recombination rate coefficients under nonequilibrium conditions is presented, both for the cases of high translational temperatures, in a shock wave, and of moderate and low temperatures, in a electrical discharge. Accurate data for these processes are obtained in N2 using the semiclassical nonperturbative analytic method known as forced harmonic oscillator (FHO) for V-V-T and V-T energy exchanges.