The production of N-2(B (3)Pi(g), v=0) was identified in the collisional deactivation of N-2(a' (1)Sigma(u)(-), v=0) by Xe, Kr, Ar, O-2, and NO. N-2(B, v=0) was probed by laser- induced fluorescence via the C (3)Pi(u) state. N-2(a', v=0) was produced by energy transfer from N-2(a (1)Pi(g), v=0) which was produced by two-photon excitation of N-2(X (1)Sigma(g)(+)). The rate constant for the intersystem crossing was the largest for Xe and the smallest for Ar. The rate constants relative to that for O-2 were 11(Xe), 1.1(Kr), approximate to 0.001(Ar), and 5.8(NO). Except for NO, the difference in these rate constants is mainly attributable to that in the overall rate constant for the deactivation and the quantum yields are comparable. As for NO, the overall rate constant is one order of magnitude larger than that for O-2 and comparable to that for Xe, while the yield for the intersystem crossing is around half of that for O-2 or Xe. The rate constants for the intersystem crossing by H-2 and CH4 are less than 1% of O-2. This is consistent with the high yields for the production of H atoms. The rate constant for N-2 is four orders of magnitude smaller than that for O-2 and the yield for the intersystem crossing is less than 0.02. (C) 2003 American Institute of Physics.