The NOx−HNO3 System in the Lower Stratosphere: Insights from In Situ Measurements and Implications of the JHNO3−[OH] Relationship

Constraints on Aerosol Nitrate Photolysis as a Potential Source of HONO and NO x

The concentration of nitrogen oxides (NO _x) plays a central role in controlling air quality. On a global scale, the primary sink of NO _x is oxidation to form HNO₃. Gas-phase HNO₃ photolyses slowly with a lifetime in the troposphere of 10 days or more. However, several recent studies examining HONO chemistry have proposed that particle-phase HNO₃ undergoes photolysis 10-300 times more rapidly than gas-phase HNO₃. We present here constraints on the rate of particle-phase HNO₃ photolysis based on observations of NO _x and HNO₃ collected over the Yellow Sea during the KORUS-AQ study in summer 2016. The fastest proposed photolysis rates are inconsistent with the observed NO _x to HNO₃ ratios. Negligible to moderate enhancements of the HNO₃ photolysis rate in particles, 1-30 times faster than in the gas phase, are most consistent with the observations. Small or moderate enhancement of particle-phase HNO₃ photolysis would not significantly affect the HNO₃ budget but could help explain observations of HONO and NO _x in highly aged air.

The development and deployment of a ground-based, laser-induced fluorescence instrument for the in situ detection of iodine monoxide radicals

High abundances of iodine monoxide (IO) are known to exist and to participate in local photochemistry of the marine boundary layer. Of particular interest are the roles IO plays in the formation of new particles in coastal marine environments and in depletion episodes of ozone and mercury in the Arctic polar spring. This paper describes a ground-based instrument that measures IO at mixing ratios less than one part in 10(12). The IO radical is measured by detecting laser-induced fluorescence at wavelengths longer that 500 nm. Tunable visible light is used to pump the A(2)Π3/2 (v(') = 2) ← X(2)Π3/2 (v(″) = 0) transition of IO near 445 nm. The laser light is produced by a solid-state, Nd:YAG-pumped Ti:Sapphire laser at 5 kHz repetition rate. The laser-induced fluorescence instrument performs reliably with very high signal-to-noise ratios (>10) achieved in short integration times (<1 min). The observations from a validation deployment to the Shoals Marine Lab on Appledore Island, ME are presented and are broadly consistent with in situ observations from European Coastal Sites. Mixing ratios ranged from the instrumental detection limit (<1 pptv) to 10 pptv. These data represent the first in situ point measurements of IO in North America.

A laser induced fluorescence-based instrument for in-situ measurements of atmospheric formaldehyde

Direct, in situ detection of gas phase formaldehyde (HCHO) via laser induced fluorescence in a White-type multipass cell is demonstrated with a (3sigma) limit of detection of approximately 0.051 parts per billion by volume in a 1 s sampling time. Calibration is performed in two ways: using permeation tubes and with air bubbled through an aqueous solution of HCHO. The concentration of HCHO output from the bubbler is measured by cavity ring-down spectroscopy. Measurement of ambient HCHO is carried out at the University of Wisconsin, Madison for a period of several days.

Laboratory studies of potential mechanisms of renoxification of tropospheric nitric acid

Laboratory studies of the heterogeneous reactions between HNO3 in thin water films on silica surfaces and gaseous NO, CO, CH4, and SO2, proposed as potential "renoxification" mechanisms in the atmosphere, are reported. Transmission FTIR was used to monitor reactants and products on the silica surface and in the gas phase as a function of time. No reaction of CO, CH4, or SO2 was observed; upper limits to the reaction probabilities (gamma(rxn)) are < or = 10(-10) for CO and SO2 and < or = 10(-12) for CH4. However, the reaction of HNO3 with NO does occur with a lower limit for the reaction probability of gammaNO > or = (6 +/- 2) x 10(-9) (2s). The experimental evidence shows that the chemistry is insensitive to whether the substrate is pure silica or borosilicate glass. Nitric acid in its molecular form, and not the nitrate anion form, was shown to be the reactive species, and NH4NO3 was shown not to react with NO. The HNO3-NO reaction could be a significant means of renoxification of nitric acid on the surfaces of buildings and soils in the boundary layer of polluted urban atmospheres. This chemistry may help to resolve some discrepancies between model-predicted ozone and field observations in polluted urban atmospheres.

Laser-induced fluorescence detection of atmospheric NO2 with a commercial diode laser and a supersonic expansion

Routine observations of atmospheric NO2 at concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 100 parts per billion are needed for air quality monitoring and for the evaluation of photochemical models. We have designed, constructed, and field tested a relatively inexpensive and specific NO2 sensor using laser-induced fluorescence. The instrument combines a commercial cw external-cavity tunable diode laser (640 nm) and a continuous supersonic expansion. The total package is completely automated, has a modest size of 0.5 m3 and 118 kg, and could be manufactured at competitive price, with the current generation of instruments. The sensitivity of the instrument is 145 part per trillion by volume min(-1) (signal-to-noise ratio of 2), which is more than adequate for monitoring purposes.