  The low energy C IV dielectronic recombination (DR) rate coefficient
associated with 2s-2p Delta n=0 excitations of this lithiumlike ion has been
measured with high energy-resolution at the heavy-ion storage-ring TSR of the
Max-Planck-Institut fuer Kernphysik in Heidelberg, Germany. The experimental
procedure and especially the experimental detection probabilities for the high
Rydberg states produced by the recombination of this ion are discussed in
detail. From the experimental data a Maxwellian plasma rate coefficient is
derived with 15% systematic uncertainty and parameterized for ready use in
plasma modeling codes. Our experimental result especially benchmarks the plasma
rate coefficient below 10000 K where DR occurs predominantly via C III (1s2 2p
4l) intermediate states and where existing theories differ by orders of
magnitude. Furthermore, we find that the total dielectronic and radiative C IV
recombination can be represented by the incoherent sum of our DR rate
coefficient and the RR rate coefficient of Pequignot et al. (1991, Astron.
Astrophys., 251, 680).
