Аннотация:Analysis of optical emission spectroscopy (OES) in application to the measurements of the electric field has been performed for the nanosecond capillary discharge in molecular nitrogen at moderate gas pressure at high specific energy deposition. Significant discrepancy between results of electric field measurements by OES technique and capacitive probe measurements is demonstrated. Decay rates of excited species as well as rotation structure of corresponding optical transitions are used to identify possible population/depopulation channels of N2+(B,v=0) and N2(C3Пu,v=0) states. Kinetic calculations taking into account additional quenching of N2+(B,v=0) and N2(C3Пu) states by electrons, additional population N2+(B) by electron impact from the ground state of the molecular ion and by a reaction of excited N2(A3Su) with the ground state of N2+ describes adequately behavior of experimentallymeasured emission of both considered systems.