TEMPERATURE-MEASUREMENTS OF THE HYDROXYL RADICAL AND MOLECULAR NITROGEN IN PREMIXED, LAMINAR FLAMES BY LASER TECHNIQUES

Temperature profiles in an atmospheric pressure, premixed, laminar, methane-air flame were measured and systematically compared by two different nonperturbing, laser light scattering methods. The rotational temperature of the lowest vibrational state of the electronic ground state of OH was measured by laser-induced fluorescence. The vibrational temperature of the electronic ground state of N2 was also measured by laser Raman scattering. The first quantitative comparison of these two temperatures with a spatial resolution of less than 100 µm throughout both the reaction zone and the postflame zone is presented. The analysis of the data indicates that the N2 vibrational temperature is in equilibrium with the OH rotational temperature at all points. © 1979 Optical Society of America.