Ar⁺ in the Terrestrial Atmosphere

Authors

Jane L. Fox, Wright State University - Main CampusFollow

Document Type

Presentation

Publication Date

11-1984

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Abstract

Ar⁺ in the terrestrial ionosphere is produced by photoionization and electron impact ionization and by the reaction

N₂⁺(v > 1) + Ar → Ar⁺ + N₂ (1)

The rate coefficient for (1) has been measured by a number of workers and has been found to approach gas kinetic rates. For v=0, the reaction proceeds in the reverse direction. For this reason, the Ar⁺ densities provide a sensitive measure of the extent of vibrational excitation of N₂⁺ in the terrestrial ionosphere. Model calculations show that at 200 km, half of the source of Ar⁺ is due to (1). The total density of Ar⁺ is on the order of 10cm^-3 near 200 km.

Comments

Presented at the 1984 Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union (AGU), San Francisco, CA.

Presentation Number SA22A-09.

Repository Citation

Fox, J. L. (1984). Ar⁺ in the Terrestrial Atmosphere. Eos, 65 (45), 1023.
https://corescholar.libraries.wright.edu/physics/466

DOI

10.1029/EO065i045p00831