The impact of temperature dependent CO2 cross section measurements: A role for heterogeneous chemistry in the atmosphere of Mars?

Carbon dioxide comprises over 95 percent of the Mars atmosphere, despite continuous photolysis of CO2 by solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Since the direct recombination of CO and O is spinforbidden, the chemical stability of CO2 in the Martian atmosphere is thought to be the result of a HO(x)-catalyzed recombination scheme. Thus the rate of CO oxidation is sensitive to the abundance and altitude distribution of OH, H, and HO2. Most Martian atmospheric models assume that HO(x) abundances are governed purely by gas phase chemistry. However, it is well established that reactive HO(x) radical are adsorbed by a wide variety of surfaces. The authors have combined laboratory studies of H, OH, and HO2 adsorption on inorganic surfaces, observational data of aerosol distributions, and an updated photochemical model to demonstrate that adsorption on either dust or ice aerosols is capable of reducing HO(x) abundances significantly, thereby retarding the rate of CO oxidation.