Charge Transfer Cross Sections Involving Oxygen Species Relevant to ENA Data Analysis

Lindsay, B. G. and R. F. Stebbings

Interpretation of energetic neutral atom (ENA) data from the HENA, MENA, and LENA
instruments aboard IMAGE requires quantitative knowledge of the various charge
transfer cross sections by which the ENAs are produced. In many instances, however,
the laboratory measurements of these cross sections are inadequate or unavailable.
This is particularly true for reactions involving oxygen atoms and ions. Over the
past several years we have conducted detailed studies of a number of these reactions
and observed large differences between the reactivity of ground- and excited-state
oxygen ions. This work will be summarized and ongoing experiments will be discussed.
 
We gratefully acknowledge support by the National Science Foundation under
Grant No. 0108734, and by the Robert A. Welch Foundation.

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To be presented at the Magnetospheric Imaging Workshop, 
Yosemite National Park, California, U.S.A., Feb. 5-8, 2002.