E-region effective electron loss rates and electron temperatures under different solar flare conditions

Presuming the total life-time for recombination of molecular ions with electrons remains constant at each altitude under different solar flare conditions, one can estimate the mean dissociative recombination coefficient and the electron temperatures, with a knowledge of the quiet time recombination coefficient and the production rate profiles under these conditions. To estimate the electron temperatures, the temperature dependence of the form (300/T_e)^1/2 for the electron loss coefficient has been assumed. The computations show very high electron temperatures below about 130 km for the representative solar events considered.