I was very happy to learn that Plenum Press has decided to publish an English edition of Chemistry of the Ionosphere. Although the book was largely intended for the Soviet reader in order to fill some gaps in Russian-language reviews on aeronomic problems, I hope that it may be useful to foreign specialists engaged in iono­ spheric research as well. Naturally, during the time which has elapsed since the preparation of the Russian edition new studies have been published in the world literature on the problems dealt with in this book. The most important of these are noted in the ap­ pendix to this edition, but some problems (for example, with respect to the physics of negative ions in the lower ionosphere) require a radical reexamination, which cannot be done in a brief appendix. I will be pleased if publication of the book in English will as­ sist in removing some of the currently existing ambiguities in basic problems of upper atmosphere chemistry. A. D. Danilov Preface to the Russian Edition 1 In the last decade surprising successes have been achieved in the study of the earth's upper atmosphere by use of rockets and artificial satellites. These investigations have made it clear that the upper atmosphere (and particularly the ionospheric region at altitudes 100-1000 km) is a considerably more complex formation than could be visualized prior to the advent of active studies with space vehicles.

Inhalt

1. Results of Rocket Investigations of Parameters of the Upper Atmosphere.- 1. Atmospheric Density, Temperature, and Neutral Composition.- 2. Electron Concentration.- 3. Concentrations of Positive and Negative Ions.- 4. Intensity of Solar UV Radiation.- 2. General Outline of Elementary Processes in the Ionosphere.- 1. Recombination of Electrons and Positive Ions.- 2. Ionization of Neutral Particles.- 3. Ion-Molecular Reactions.- 4. Formation of Negative Ions.- 5. Ionization-Recombination Cycle of Ionosphearic Processes.- 6. Effective Recombination Coefficient above 100 km.- 7. Effective Recombination Coefficient below 100 km.- 8. Ambipolar Diffusion and Ionospheric Distribution of Charge Particles.- 3. Rates of Processes of Dissociative Recombination.- 1. Theoretical Investigations.- 2. Laboratory Investigations.- 3. Temperature Dependence of ?.- 4. ? Estimates Based on Ionospheric Data.- 4. Rates of Ion-Molecular Processes.- 1. Role of Ion-Molecular Processes in Ion Formation and Estimates Based on Ionospheric Data.- 2. Results of Laboratory Experiments.- 5. Ion Formation in the Ionosphere.- 1. Equilibrium Ion Concentrations.- 2. Comparison with Experimental Data.- 3. Variations in Ion Composition.- 6. Negative Ions and the Ionospheric D Region.- 1. Processes in Which Negative Ions Particpate.- 2. Physical Processes in the D Region.- 7. Oxygen Dissociation.- 1. Processes of Formation and Removal of Oxygen Atoms in the Upper Atmosphere.- 2. Rates of Processes with Participation of Atomic Oxygen.- 3. Distribution of Atomic Oxygen and Ozone Concentrations in the Lower Chemosphere.- 4. Distribution of Atomic and Molecular Oxygen Concentrations above 100 km.- 8. Reactions in Which Nitrogen and Its Oxides Participate.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Formation and Disappearance of Nitrogen Oxide and Dioxide in the Chemosphere.- 3. Laboratory Data on the Constants of Principal Reactions.- 4. Distribution of Nitrogen Oxide and Dioxide Concentrations in the Chemosphere.- 5. Other Nitrogen Oxides.- 9. Nitrogen Dissociation.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Processes of Formation and Disappearance of Atomic Nitrogen.- 3. Atomic Nitrogen Equilibrium Concentrations.- 10. Reactions with Participation of Neutral and Ionized Hydrogen and Helium Atoms.- .1. Reactions of Hydrogen and Its Compounds.- .2. Atmospheric Processes with Participation of Hydrogen and Helium Ions.- Conclusion.- Literature Cited.