Charge exchange of metastable 2D oxygen ions with N2 in the thermosphere

Measurements of N2+ and supporting data made on the Atmosphere Explorer-C satellite in the ionosphere are used to study the charge exchange process O+(2D)+N2→kN+2+O The equality k = (5 ± 1.7) × 10−10cm3s−1. This value lies close to the lower limit of experimental uncertainty of the rate coefficient determined in the laboratory. We have also investigated atomic oxygen quenching of O+(2D) and find that the rate coefficient is 2 × 10−11 cm3s−1 to within approximately a factor of two.