Accidentally resonant asymmetric charge exchange in the protonosphere

Abstract

The effect of the cross section of the nearly resonant asymmetric charge exchange process on the properties of the protonosphere has been discussed previously [Hanson and Ortenburger, 1961]. In more recent work [Hanson, 1962] two distinct proton distribution curves with altitude were given, depending on the magnitude of the cross section of process 1 in the ionosphere. For a cross section of the order of 10−15 cm2 [Rapp and Ortenburger, 1961], charge exchange is the main source of protons. If the cross section is of the order of 10−15 cm2, however, photoionization of H might be the dominant means of the production of protons.