Metastable energy transfer for analytical luminescence

An apparatus for analysis of atomic species which comprises dielectric excitation means for exciting molecular nitrogen in a nitrogen-containing gas to a higher energy metastable excited state, said dielectric excitation means including a flow channel having dielectric walls within which a stream of molecular nitrogen containing gas may be passed and further including opposing electrode means external to said flow channel and between which the flow channel is situated, said electrode means when connected to an electric power source being capable of establishing a dielectric field in said gas in said flow channel exciting molecular nitrogen to a metastable state, the excitation means in the apparatus producing nitrogen excited to a molecular metastable state while not exciting the nitrogen above the 6th vibrational level of the B.sup.3 .pi.g energy state, said flow channel comprising two concentric dielectric tubes forming an annular space within and through which the nitrogen gas may be passed and wherein said opposing electrode means are an outer electrode means which is an electrode outside the outer tube and an internal electrode means defined by the internal tube, said apparatus also comprising means for introducing a stream of nitrogen containing gas into said flow channel and causing the nitrogen to pass through said excitation means, and means for admixing said gas subjected to the dielectric field with a gas stream suspected of containing the atomic species to be analyzed, and also comprising a reaction chamber wherein energy may be transferred from said excited nitrogen to said admixed atomic species whereby said atomic species if present is cause to emit fluorescent radiation and detecting means for detecting said fluorescent radiation.