Dissociative Recombination of N2+

Abstract:

Theoretically determined rate constants for the dissociative recombination of N₂⁺ with an electron (e^-) i.e. N₂⁺ + e^- → N + N, are reported for each of the lowest 5 vibrational levels of the ion. The rate constants resolve a thirty year old mystery in aeronomy concerning the disagreement between the measured N₂⁺ ionospheric density and that predicted by models. This is the first report by either experiment or theory of rate constants for excited N₂⁺ vibrational levels. It is also the first report of electron energy dependent rate constant uncertainties. A least squares fit to the calculated dissociative recombination rate constant for v = 0 is 2.2 x 10^-7 x (T_e/300)^-0.33 (+0.3 x 10^-7 x (T_e/300)^-1.0, -0.2 x 10^-7 x (T_e/300)^-0.1) cm³/sec for electron temperatures between 100 and 3000 K and is in excellent agreement with experiment.