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Science 9 January 1998:
Vol. 279. no. 5348, pp. 211 - 213
DOI: 10.1126/science.279.5348.211
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Reports

Evidence for New Sources of NOX in the Lower Atmosphere

Edward C. Zipf, * Sheo S. Prasad

Laboratory studies show that the reaction of short-lived O2(B3Sigma u) molecules (lifetime ~10 picoseconds) with N2 and the photodissociation of the N2:O2 dimer produce NOx in the stratosphere at a rate comparable to the oxidation of N2O by O(1D). This finding implies the existence of unidentified NOX sinks in the stratosphere. The NO2 observed in this experiment is isotopically heavy with a large 15N/14N enhancement. However, photodissociation of this NO2 unexpectedly produced NO molecules with a low 15N/14N ratio. The diurnal odd-nitrogen cycle in the stratosphere will be marked by a complex isotope signature that will be imprinted on the halogen and HOX catalytic cycles.

E. C. Zipf, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA.
S. S. Prasad, Creative Research Enterprises, Post Office Box 174, Pleasanton, CA 94566, USA.
*   To whom correspondence should be addressed.

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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)