A process of electron-ion recombination is considered, involving three bodies (one ion and two electrons), in which an electron, as a result of a collision with another electron, loses enough energy to be captured in one of the excited electronic orbits of the ion and then ends in the ground state by emission of one or more light quanta. It is shown that such a process might account for the large values of the recombination coefficient found experimentally.

• Received 9 September 1960

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRev.121.505