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Content archived on 2019-03-15

STUDIES OF ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY : A) LABORATORY STUDIES OF NITROUS ACID TO ASSESS ITS IMPORTANCE FOR GENERATION OF OH RADICALS IN THE LOWER ATMOSPHERE B) STUDIES OF CHEMICAL PROCESSES WITHIN A CAP CLOUD

Objective

A) TO INVESTIGATE KINETICS AND MECHANISM OF REACTION INVOLVING FORMATION AND REMOVAL OF NITROUS ACID IN THE GAS PHASE;
B) TO ASSESS THE RATE AND EXTENT OF SO2 OXIDATION BY STRONG OXIDANTS IN CLOUDS.

THE RESEARCH PROJECT CONSISTS OF TWO SUBPROJECTS A) AND B).

IN SUBPROJECT A) THE KINETICS OF THE REACTION OF OH WITH NITROUS ACID IS INVESTIGATED USING PHOTOCHEMICAL MODULATION SPECTROSCOPY TO PROVIDE TIME RESOLVED MEASUREMENTS OF OH PRODUCED BY PHOTOLYSIS OF NITROUS ACID.

ALSO THE KINETICS OF THE REACTION OF NO3 WITH NITROUS ACID IS STUDIED USING THE PHOTOLYSIS OF CL2 IN PRESENCE OF CLONO2.

THE RATE COEFFICIENTS FOR THE REACTION OF OH AND NO3 WITH NITROUS ACID ARE EMPLOYED TO ASSESS THE EFFECT OF THESE RADICALS ON THE CONCENTRATION FIELD OF NITROUS ACID AND ON THE RATE PHOTOLYSIS TO PRODUCE OH RADICALS.

SUBPROJECT B) CONSIDERS CHEMICAL SAMPLING AT THREE SITES IN AND AROUND THE CLOUD, MEASURING THE COMPONENTS ENTERING THE CLOUD, SO2, SULPHATE, AEROSOLS AND OZONE.
THE CLOUD WATER IS ANALYSED FOR SULPHATE, HYDROGEN IONS AND HYDROGEN PEROXIDE AND MEASUREMENTS ARE MADE IN A VARIETY OF SITUATIONS WITH DIFFERENT INPUT CONCENTRATIONS OF SO2 AND AT DIFFERENT TEMPERATURES.

IN ADDITION TO THE FIELD STUDIES A LABORATORY PROGRAM IS CARRIED OUT ON THE RATE OF OXIDATION OF SO2 IN COLLECTED SAMPLES OF CLOUD WATER.

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Call for proposal

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Coordinator

United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority
EU contribution
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Address
353,Harwell
OX11 0RA Didcot - Oxfordshire
United Kingdom

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