THEORY OF DISSOCIATIVE RECOMBINATION IN VIBRATIONALLY EXCITED GASES

For diatomic ions with large room-temperature recombination rates α, the simple temperature dependence α=CTel-12[1-exp(-hνkTion)] is derived, which reproduces closely the precise experiments of Cunningham and Hobson, and others as well. The derivation uses the electronic threshold law plus a rapid fall off of the cross sections with vibrational state v. © 1969 The American Physical Society.