N + O2(v) collisions: reactive, inelastic and dissociation rates for state-to-state vibrational kinetic models

Highlights: • N + O2 collisions: reactive, inelastic, dissociation vibrationally-detailed rates fit. • State-to-state vibrational kinetics model of a N2/N/O2/O/NO mixture. • 0-dimensional time-dependent model as preliminary step in plasma medicine modelling. • Hypersonic boundary layer model to simulate fast transportation problems. The reactive, inelastic and dissociation vibrationally-detailed rate coefficients of the N + O₂ collision processes, previously calculated by means of a QCT method, have been interpolated as a function of the initial and final vibrational levels and of the temperature, in the range 1000–20000 K. These rates have been implemented in a N₂/N/O₂/O/NO mixture state-to-state kinetic model. The model has been tested in a couple of applications. The first consists in its time evolution, for 10⁻³ s, from an equilibrium composition at 4000/3000 K towards a new composition obtained by suddenly decreasing the temperature to 1000 K. This is a preliminary study that could open the way to a new approach in the investigation of some biomedical applications governed by plasma sources at atmospheric pressure. The second test regards the boundary layer formed around the nose of a hypersonic vehicle in the framework of the fast transportation and space tourism applications.