HYDROGEN ION VELOCITY DISTRIBUTIONS IN IONOSPHERE

The detailed velocity dependence of the hydrogen ion distribution function has been obtained through numerical solutions to the steady state Boltzmann equation for conditions of ionospheric interest. The processes of electron-H+, H+-O+, and charge exchange collisions between atomic oxygen and hydrogen ions and atoms have been included in the collision model. The results indicate that the H+ velocity distribution is somewhat distorted from the Maxwellian and leads to a H+ kinetic temperature up to 350°K hotter than that of the ambient O+ gas. The general trend of the H+ distribution function shows there are fewer particles in the low velocity regions and an enhancement in the tail of the distribution as compared with a Maxwellian distribution having the same kinetic temperature. The application of these results to ionospheric measurements is discussed. © 1968.