The effect of N2 + recombination on the aeronomic determination of the charge exchange rate coefficient of O+(²D) with N2

The Atmosphere Explorer (AE) data are reexamined in the light of new laboratory measurements of the N2+ recombination rate coefficient α. The new measurements support earlier measurements which yielded values of α significantly lower than the AE values. It is found that the values for α determined from the satellite data can be reconciled with the laboratory measurements, if the charge exchange rate coefficient for O+(²D) with N2 is less than one-quarter of that derived in the laboratory by Rutherford and Vroom [1971]. Atomic oxygen quenching of O+(²D) must be less than 3 × 10−11 cm³s−1.