Investigation of the kinetic processes occurring in the atmospheric gases and low temperature plasmas of such gases is of great interest for numerous areas of modern physics and chemistry. These include discharge and laser physics, physics of the ionosphere, chemistry and optics of the atmosphere, laser and plasma chemistry, and nonequilibrium gas dynamics. Further, nonequilibrium gaseous media and low temperature plasmas formed from N2, 02, or N2-02 mixtures are rich in active components such as 0, N, and H atoms and ex­ cited metastable species, which fostered the utilization of such nonequilibrium systems in a variety of new technologies. At present, several monographs devoted to the analysis of kinetic pro­ cesses in molecular gases and plasmas are available in the literature. How­ ever, most of these works deal only with general physical-chemical kinetic aspects, and do not provide an analysis of basic kinetic theory and detailed investigation of kinetic processes in N2, 02 and their mixtures. A monograph devoted to such a thorough analysis for the atmospheric gases is still lacking in the literature. The present book was written to fill in this gap. The book can be considered as a natural development of two former mono­ graphs, Non-Equilibrium Vibrotional Kinetics (ed. by M. Capitelli, Sprin­ ger-Verlag 1986) and Kinetic Processes in Gases and Lasers (B. Gordiets, A.I. Osipov, and L.A. Shelepin, Gordon and Breach 1988).

Investigation of the kinetic processes occurring in the atmospheric gases and low temperature plasmas of such gases is of great interest for numerous areas of modern physics and chemistry. These include discharge and laser physics, physics of the ionosphere, chemistry and optics of the atmosphere, laser and plasma chemistry, and nonequilibrium gas dynamics. Further, nonequilibrium gaseous media and low temperature plasmas formed from N2, 02, or N2-02 mixtures are rich in active components such as 0, N, and H atoms and ex­ cited metastable species, which fostered the utilization of such nonequilibrium systems in a variety of new technologies. At present, several monographs devoted to the analysis of kinetic pro­ cesses in molecular gases and plasmas are available in the literature. How­ ever, most of these works deal only with general physical-chemical kinetic aspects, and do not provide an analysis of basic kinetic theory and detailed investigation of kinetic processes in N2, 02 and their mixtures. A monograph devoted to such a thorough analysis for the atmospheric gases is still lacking in the literature. The present book was written to fill in this gap. The book can be considered as a natural development of two former mono­ graphs, Non-Equilibrium Vibrotional Kinetics (ed. by M. Capitelli, Sprin­ ger-Verlag 1986) and Kinetic Processes in Gases and Lasers (B. Gordiets, A.I. Osipov, and L.A. Shelepin, Gordon and Breach 1988).

This book by Yeo V. Stupochenko, S. A. Losev and A. I. Osipov distin- guishes itself as an unusually comprehensive treatment of both the the- oretical and experimental aspects of the subject of relaxation processes in shock waves. S. A. Losev has done a considerable amount of work in molec- ular absorption spectroscopy of gases in relaxation, and, consequently, the chapter on experimental methods of study of nonequilibrium phenomena in shock waves has turned out to be particularly extensive in both scope and depth. A. I. Osipov has contributed extensively to the theoretical understanding of relaxation processes in gases through his work on transi- tion probability in nonadiabatic collisions by quantum-mechanical calcula- tion as can be seen from the many quotations in the chapter on relaxation processes in shock waves. Finally, Yeo V. Stupochenko's heavy contribution to the development of the study of nonequilibrium gas flow must also be mentioned, as it is obviously reflected at various places throughout the book.It is worth particular mention that the authors have compiled the most extensive bibliography of references (over six hundred in total) in the litera- ture of relaxation gasdynamics to date. The authors' thorough familiarity with the Western (particularly American) work in this ,!rea can be seen from the many Western reference"~quoted, about two-thirds of the total number. On the contrary, most of the more than two hundred Russian references are not popularly known in the West and, therefore, should be of value to the English-speaking readers.

Investigation of the kinetic processes occurring in the atmospheric gases and low temperature plasmas of such gases is of great interest for numerous areas of modern physics and chemistry. These include discharge and laser physics, physics of the ionosphere, chemistry and optics of the atmosphere, laser and plasma chemistry, and nonequilibrium gas dynamics. Further, nonequilibrium gaseous media and low temperature plasmas formed from N2, 02, or N2-02 mixtures are rich in active components such as 0, N, and H atoms and ex­ cited metastable species, which fostered the utilization of such nonequilibrium systems in a variety of new technologies. At present, several monographs devoted to the analysis of kinetic pro­ cesses in molecular gases and plasmas are available in the literature. How­ ever, most of these works deal only with general physical-chemical kinetic aspects, and do not provide an analysis of basic kinetic theory and detailed investigation of kinetic processes in N2, 02 and their mixtures. A monograph devoted to such a thorough analysis for the atmospheric gases is still lacking in the literature. The present book was written to fill in this gap. The book can be considered as a natural development of two former mono­ graphs, Non-Equilibrium Vibrotional Kinetics (ed. by M. Capitelli, Sprin­ ger-Verlag 1986) and Kinetic Processes in Gases and Lasers (B. Gordiets, A.I. Osipov, and L.A. Shelepin, Gordon and Breach 1988).

Investigation of the kinetic processes occurring in the atmospheric gases and low temperature plasmas of such gases is of great interest for numerous areas of modern physics and chemistry. These include discharge and laser physics, physics of the ionosphere, chemistry and optics of the atmosphere, laser and plasma chemistry, and nonequilibrium gas dynamics. Further, nonequilibrium gaseous media and low temperature plasmas formed from N2, 02, or N2-02 mixtures are rich in active components such as 0, N, and H atoms and ex­ cited metastable species, which fostered the utilization of such nonequilibrium systems in a variety of new technologies. At present, several monographs devoted to the analysis of kinetic pro­ cesses in molecular gases and plasmas are available in the literature. How­ ever, most of these works deal only with general physical-chemical kinetic aspects, and do not provide an analysis of basic kinetic theory and detailed investigation of kinetic processes in N2, 02 and their mixtures. A monograph devoted to such a thorough analysis for the atmospheric gases is still lacking in the literature. The present book was written to fill in this gap. The book can be considered as a natural development of two former mono­ graphs, Non-Equilibrium Vibrotional Kinetics (ed. by M. Capitelli, Sprin­ ger-Verlag 1986) and Kinetic Processes in Gases and Lasers (B. Gordiets, A.I. Osipov, and L.A. Shelepin, Gordon and Breach 1988).

This book by Yeo V. Stupochenko, S. A. Losev and A. I. Osipov distin- guishes itself as an unusually comprehensive treatment of both the the- oretical and experimental aspects of the subject of relaxation processes in shock waves. S. A. Losev has done a considerable amount of work in molec- ular absorption spectroscopy of gases in relaxation, and, consequently, the chapter on experimental methods of study of nonequilibrium phenomena in shock waves has turned out to be particularly extensive in both scope and depth. A. I. Osipov has contributed extensively to the theoretical understanding of relaxation processes in gases through his work on transi- tion probability in nonadiabatic collisions by quantum-mechanical calcula- tion as can be seen from the many quotations in the chapter on relaxation processes in shock waves. Finally, Yeo V. Stupochenko's heavy contribution to the development of the study of nonequilibrium gas flow must also be mentioned, as it is obviously reflected at various places throughout the book.It is worth particular mention that the authors have compiled the most extensive bibliography of references (over six hundred in total) in the litera- ture of relaxation gasdynamics to date. The authors' thorough familiarity with the Western (particularly American) work in this ,!rea can be seen from the many Western reference"~quoted, about two-thirds of the total number. On the contrary, most of the more than two hundred Russian references are not popularly known in the West and, therefore, should be of value to the English-speaking readers.