OBJECTIONS TO N2+ + E- DISSOCIATIVE RECOMBINATION COEFFICIENTS INFERRED FROM ANALYSIS OF ATMOSPHERE EXPLORER MEASUREMENTS

It is shown that Orsini, et al's inference, from an analysis of Atmosphere Explorer data, that N2+ ions in vibrationally excited states exhibit dissociative recombination coefficients in excess of 10−6 cm³/sec is incorrect. From the theory of the dissociative recombination process, an upper limit of ∼ 10−7 cm³/sec is obtained for recombination by N2+ ions in a particular vibration state at F‐region electron temperatures. Available laboratory data on dissociative recombination of simple ions support this conclusion. As a possible alternative for the apparent rapid loss of vibrationally excited ions in the F‐region it is suggested that the reaction N2+ + O → N + NO+ may exhibit the necessary increase in reaction rate with vibrational excitation in the ions. Copyright 1978 by the American Geophysical Union.