Two-photon absorption laser-induced fluorescence of atomic oxygen in the afterglow of pulsed positive corona discharge

Atomic oxygen is measured in the afterglow of pulsed positive Corona discharge using time-resolved two-photon absorption laser-induced fluorescence. The discharge occurs in a 14 min point-to-plane gap in dry air. After the discharge pulse, the atomic oxygen density decreases at a rate of 5 x 10(4) s(-1). Simultaneously, ozone density increases at almost the same rate, where the ozone density is measured using laser absorption method. This agreement between the increasing rate of atomic oxygen and decreasing rate of ozone proves that ozone is mainly produced by the well-known three-body reaction, O+O(2)+M -> O(3)+M. No other process for ozone production such as O(2)(v) +O(2)-> O(3)+O is observed. The spatial distribution of atomic oxygen density is in agreement with that of the secondary streamer luminous intensity. This agreement indicates that atomic oxygen is mainly produced in the secondary streamer channels, not in the primary streamer channels. (C) 2009 American Institute of Physics. [DOI: 10.1063/1.3190530]