Calculations are performed to determine the cross section for the charge-exchange collision N +3 + H N +2 + H + at energies near 1 eV. A reaction rate cross section times velodty 3 x 10- cm3 1 is obtained for temperatures near 1 0 K. Highly ionized atoms have been employed as probes of the hot (l0 K), dilute interstellar gas. The calculations here indicate that charge-exchange dominates over previously considered recombination processes for a wide range of physical conditions. Inclusion of this charge-exchange process reduces the predicted abundance ratio (N + 4IN0) by a factor 2500 under "standard" intercloud conditions when heating and ionization of the interstellar medium are provided by postulated X-rays. Observations have focused on C +3 and N + as providing the strongest evidence against this X-ray flux. The reduction of the predicted N + abundance found here, in conjunction with a similar reduction obtained previously for C +3, invalidates these interpretations. Subject headings: atomic processes - interstellar: matter
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Christensen et al. (1977) studied this question.