Further quantification of the sources and sinks of thermospheric O1D) atoms

Abstract

In this paper we confirm an earlier finding that the reaction constitutes a major source of OI 6300 A dayglow. The rate coefficient for this reaction is found to be consistent with an auroral result, namely k1 [approximate] 6 x 10-12 cm3s-1. We correct an error in an earlier publication and demonstrate that reaction (1) is consistent with the laboratory determined quenching rate for the reaction where k2 = 2.3 x 10-11cm3s-1. Dissociative recombination of O+2 with electrons is found to be a major daytime source in summer above ~220 km.