On the decomposition numbers of SO₈^+(2^f)

Let $q=2^f$, and let $G=\mathrm{SO}_8^+(q)$ and $U$ be a Sylow $2$-subgroup of $G$. We first describe the fusion of the conjugacy classes of $U$ in $G$. We then use this information to prove the unitriangularity of the $\ell$-decomposition matrices of $G$ for all $\ell \ne 2$ by inducing certain irreducible characters of $U$ to $G$; the characters of $U$ of degree $q^3/2$ play here a major role. We then determine the $\ell$-decomposition matrix of $G$ in the case $\ell \mid q+1$, when $\ell \ge 5$ and $(q+1)_\ell>5$, up to two non-negative indeterminates in one column.