Spectroscopic studies of the 1$^{st}$ and 2$^{nd}$ continuum emission bands ($\lambda $=74-90nm) from decaying Ne$_{2}$* excimers generated in high pressure dielectric barrier discharge plasmas

For gas pressures above $>$100mbar, the radiative decay of Ne$_{2}$* excimer molecules gives rise to strong emission in the vacuum-ultraviolet corresponding to the partially overlapping 1$^{st}$ and 2$^{nd}$ continuum excimer bands $\lambda \sim $74-90nm [1]. We have evaluated the $\lambda $-dependence of the spectral emission from $\sim $700 individual ro-vibrational states of the Ne$_{2}^{\ast }$ 0$_{u}^{+}(^{3}$P$_{1})$ and Ne$_{2}^{\ast }$ 1$_{u}(^{3}$P$_{2})$ excited bound states. Energy levels and corresponding wavefunctions were calculated from the code LEVEL 8.0 of LeRoy [2], based on known potential energy curves [3]. Comparison between the calculated spectra and experimental data allows the individual contributions from the overlapping 1$^{st}$ and 2$^{nd}$ bands to be clearly resolved. Detailed analysis of the 1$^{st}$ continuum output gives insight into the magnitude of the buffer gas induced relaxation rates involving the twelve vibrational states of Ne$_{2}$* 0$_{u}^{+}(^{3}$P$_{1})$. Our results also suggest the potential energy curves for 0$_{u}^{+}(^{3}$P$_{1})$/1$_{u}(^{3}$P$_{2})$ in [3] should be revised with D$_{e}$ values reduced by $\sim $25{\%}. [1] R Carman et-al J Phys D \textbf{43} 025205 (2010), [2] R J Le Roy, University of Waterloo Chemical Physics Research Report CP-663 (2007); see http://leroy.uwaterloo.ca/programs/ [3] F Grein et-al, J Chem Phys \textbf{87} 4684 (1987)