Electron Impact Excitation of Molecular Nitrogen: Excitation of the $C~^{3}\Pi_{u}$, $E~^{3}\Sigma_{g}^{+}$, and $a^{\prime\prime}~^{1}\Sigma_{g}^{+}$ States and Vibrationally-Resolved Excitation of the $C~^{3}\Pi_{u}~(\nu^{\prime})$ State*

Differential cross sections (DCSs) were investigated for electron impact excitation of the $C~^{3}\Pi_{u}$, $E~^{3} \Sigma_{g}^{+}$, and $a^{\prime\prime}~^{1}\Sigma_{g}^{+}$ states from the ground state in N$_{2}$. The DCSs were obtained from new measurements of energy-loss spectra in the region of 10.75eV to 12.75eV measured at incident energies between 13eV and 100eV and for scattering angles ranging from $5^{\circ}$ to $130^{\circ}$. Vibrationally-resolved DCSs are presented for electron impact excitation from the ground state to the $C~^{3}\Pi_{u}~(\nu^{\prime})$ state, where $\nu^{\prime} $=0, 1, 2, 3, and 4. Relative excitation probabilities for the vibrational levels of the $C~^{3}\Pi_{u}$ state are shown to demonstrate non-Franck-Condon behavior for excitation energies less than approximately 50eV.