Some speculations on the role of excited electronic states in nitrogen-oxygen atmospheric chemistry

Abstract

Recently Zipf and Prasad [1998] and Prasad [1998] have suggested new sources and / or sinks for nitrogen oxide species arising from reactions of electronically excited oxygen molecules with nitrogen species as well as photoreactions of oxidecontaining clusters. These ideas help trigger new ways of thinking about possible atmospheric reactions. In the following, I will outline a “chemical perspective” on reactivity, as well as the changes in photoreactivity expected when species are bound in van der Waals complexes. This will be followed by some speculations on “new” sources of nitrogen oxides in the middle atmosphere.