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A mesospheric source of nitrous oxideIn the terrestrial atmosphere, nitrous oxide (N2O) has a major role in the chemistry of ozone. Current atmospheric models assume that N2O is produced only by fixation at the earth's surface and that there are no local sources in the stratosphere or mesosphere. It is pointed out here that a significant in situ N2O source does exist above 20 km due to the excitation of the metastable N2(A 3Sigma u +) state by resonance absorption of solar UV photons that penetrate deeply into the atmosphere through the 1,800-2,200 A O2-O3 window. This source significantly affects the NO altitude distribution in the mesosphere and, in the earth's prebiological atmosphere, made N2O an important stratospheric constituent.
Document ID
19820037668
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
External Source(s)
Authors
Zipf, E. C.
(Pittsburgh, University Pittsburgh, PA, United States)
Prasad, S. S.
(California Institute of Technology, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena CA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 10, 2013
Publication Date
January 14, 1982
Publication Information
Publication: Nature
Volume: 295
Subject Category
Geophysics
Accession Number
82A21203
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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