Abstract
A four-state close-coupling approximation is used to obtain electron impact excitation rates for transitions among the levels of the lowest configuration of Ne2+. The results from statistical equilibrium calculations including the new rates show that the intensity ratio I(15.6 µm)/I(36.0 µm) is density sensitive for electron densities in the range of 104 to 106 cm−3 with negligible temperature variation. It is also shown that the ratio I(15.6 µm)/I(3869 Å) is highly sensitive to temperature for densities less than about 105 cm−3 with only slight dependence on density. The intensity of the 15.6 µm line is itself a slowly varying function of the physical conditions up to an electron density of about 104 cm−3 giving the possibility of an accurate determination of the Ne2+ abundance when this condition is fulfilled.

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