Dissociative recombination of the methane family ions: rate coefficients and implications

We present dissociative recombination rate coefficients for the methane family ions (CH +, CH 2 +, CH 3 +, CH 4 + and CH 5 +). By comparing contemporary experimental techniques, we understand the apparently contradictory published rate coefficients as arising from differences in ion state populations. Further analysis allows us distinguish rates for both cold and excited ions and we examine implications of these rates for studies of the ionospheres of the Jovian planets and their satellites.