Some aspects of stratospheric chemical response to solar particle precipitations. I - Potential roles of N2/A3Sigma/ and ion-chemistry

Large amounts of long lived N2(A3Sigma) are created by the energy degradation of precipitating solar particles. Laboratory data suggest that in the stratosphere N2(A3Sigma) are efficiently converted into N2O. Through reactions with O(1D), N2O may gradually release NO and thereby influence the long term aspects of stratospheric chemical response. During the daytime, negative ions may transform an active NO(x) into an inactive HNO3. At night both negative and positive ion chemistry generate HO(x). Omission of ionic chemistry results in considerable underestimation of O3 depletion during the initial phases of solar particle events, and thereby introduces significant error in the estimation of the nature of the prompt response.