Studies of the O 2 (b 1 + g ) kinetics in the afterglow of three RF discharges having different configurations are presented. Experiments with a slow flow velocity transverse capacitive RF discharge were performed and detailed measurements of the spatial evolution of O 2 (b 1 + g ), O 2 (a 1 g ), O( 3 P) and flow temperature were taken. Simulations of three different experimental configurations were in good agreement with the data for the spatial decay of O 2 (b 1 + g ). The simulations also

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... vided reasonable agreement with experimental data for atomic oxygen, O 2 (a 1 g ) and temperature, where the data were available. Updated electron impact cross-sections for oxygen dissociation were included in the simulations; this proved critical for proper modelling of the production of atomic oxygen and the subsequent decay of O 2 (b 1 + g ). At low oxygen atom densities the decay of O 2 (b 1 + g ) was principally from heterogeneous quenching. For the slow flow velocity experiment, O atom recombination and O 2 (b 1 + g ) deactivation by the walls play an important role; in the far downstream afterglow region a quasi-stationary O 2 (b 1 + g ) concentration was found owing to a near-equilibrium between the pooling reaction and losses to the walls for this slow velocity case.