AbstractN2(A3Σ u+), the lowest electronically excited state of N2, has a long and distinguished history due to its role in nitrogen discharges and the nitrogen afterglow. Recently, the production of N2(A) via photolysis and chemiluminescent reactions has been newly explored, and new facets of its reactivity have been uncovered. N2(A) is unusual, in that its deactivation probability in collision with small molecules spans many orders of magnitude, and is frequently strongly dependent on the vibrational content of N2(A). This behavior and the observed product channels can be understood in terms of a simple model for the energy transfer process. Brief comparison with reactions of related species is ma