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| Titel |
Laboratory Studies of Vibrational Relaxation: Important Insights for Mesospheric OH |
| VerfasserIn |
Konstantinos S. Kalogerakis, Daniel Matsiev |
| Konferenz |
EGU General Assembly 2016
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| Medientyp |
Artikel
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| Sprache |
en
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| Digitales Dokument |
PDF |
| Erschienen |
In: GRA - Volume 18 (2016) |
| Datensatznummer |
250123518
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| Publikation (Nr.) |
 EGU/EGU2016-2788.pdf |
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| Zusammenfassung |
| The hydroxyl radical has a key role in the chemistry and energetics of the Earth’s middle
atmosphere. A detailed knowledge of the rate constants and relevant pathways for OH(high v)
vibrational relaxation by atomic and molecular oxygen and their temperature dependence is
absolutely critical for understanding mesospheric OH and extracting reliable chemical
heating rates from atmospheric observations.
We have developed laser-based experimental approaches to study the complex collisional
energy transfer processes involving the OH radical and other relevant atmospheric species.
Previous work in our laboratory indicated that the total removal rate constant for OH(v = 9) +
O at room temperature is more than one order of magnitude larger than that for removal by
O2. Thus, O atoms are expected to significantly influence the intensity and vibrational
distribution extracted from the Meinel OH(v) emissions. We will report our most recent
laboratory experiments that corroborate the aforementioned result for OH(v = 9) + O and
provide important new insights on the mechanistic pathways involved. We will also highlight
relevant atmospheric implications, including warranted revisions of current mesospheric OH
models.
Research supported by SRI International Internal R&D and NSF Aeronomy grant
AGS-1441896. Previously supported by NASA Geospace Science grant NNX12AD09G. |
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