Radiative Recombination of Atoms as a Resonance Scattering Process

The rate coefficient for two-body radiative recombination of atoms via the ``crossing'' of two potential curves is derived from the Breit-Wigner cross section for resonance scattering. The level widths, the natural parameters in terms of which to describe the scattering, are the starting point. The development allows one to investigate the dependence of the recombination rate on level widths and on the position of the dissociation limit of the outer potential curve relative to the rotational structure in the inner curve. It also provides a unique definition of the probability of radiative recombination per collision.