Abstract
The Gram-Charlier method for solving the Boltzmann equation is used to compute velocity distribution functions for O+(4S3/2) ions drifting under the influence of an electric field through helium or argon gas containing small amounts of N2. This allows us to reassess the accuracy of the commonly used reaction cross section for the O+(4S3/2) +N2 reaction, perhaps the most important reaction in the upper ionosphere. It is found that the cross sections that were derived from flow-drift measurements are in considerable error for relative kinetic energies of 0.3-3 eV between the reacting species. Using the best available transport theory, flow-drift tube data of the reaction rate coefficient are inverted to obtain a better cross section.
Published Version
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