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 N 2 + 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 N 2 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 .