Chlorine and bromine ions in the D-region

Abstract

In the first D-region negative ion measurements of March 7, 1970 above Wallops Island by Narcisi's group at the Geophysical Laboratory in Bedford no chlorine ions were reported. However, already in the second measurement from the Andoya rocket range on March 23, 1970, by Arnold's group at Heidelberg the presence of the two chlorine ion isotopes 35 and 37 amu/q were found as minor ions of the D-region. Since then the negative chlorine ion was observed regularly in the D-region negative ion population, but its chemistry is still not fully understood. In a solar eclipse campaign in February 1979 the ion composition was measured with a new mass spectrometer by the Bern group. In this measurement Cl − was the most abundant ion below about 70 km. In addition, good evidence was found for the presence of both bromine isotopes 79 and 81 amu/q and also of clustered chlorine ions. Since the source of chlorine and bromine ions is the stratosphere, time-dependant changes of these compounds will also contribute to a change of chlorine and bromine negative ions in the D-region. Both ions play an important role in the ion population of the D-region, a fact which is not taken into account by today's standard models.