  Recent measurements of the cross sections for electronic state excitations in
H2O have made it possible to calculate rates applicable to these excitation
processes. We thus present here calculations of electron energy transfer rates
for electronic and vibrational state excitations in H2O, as well as rates for
excitation of some of these states by atmospheric thermal and auroral secondary
electrons. The calculation of these latter rates is an important first step
towards our aim of including water into a statistical equilibrium model of the
atmosphere under auroral conditions.
