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Ionic recombination in the stratosphere
Author(s) -
Smith D.,
Adams N. G.
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/gl009i009p01085
Subject(s) - stratosphere , ion , recombination , ionization , torr , ionic bonding , atomic physics , binary number , limit (mathematics) , physics , materials science , atmospheric sciences , chemistry , thermodynamics , mathematics , gene , mathematical analysis , arithmetic , biochemistry , quantum mechanics
Recent laboratory measurements of positive ion/negative ion recombination coefficients at pressures below 8 torr have indicated that the coefficients increase more rapidly with pressure than expected on the basis of previous higher pressure data. These data, together with previous recombination coefficients obtained in the low pressure limit, have been used to redetermine the total effective binary recombination coefficients which are most appropriate to the stratosphere. These new values are almost a factor of two larger than our previous values and are, within error, in agreement with the values derived from in‐situ measurements of ion densities and ionization production rates. It is concluded that the new values are accurate to better than ±50% and can be used with confidence in calculations of stratosphere deionization rates.