Measurements of CH<sub>3</sub>O<sub>2</sub>NO<sub>2</sub> in the upper troposphere
Methyl peroxy nitrate (CH<sub>3</sub>O<sub>2</sub>NO<sub>2</sub>) is a non-acyl peroxy nitrate that is important for photochemistry at low temperatures characteristic of the upper troposphere. We report the first measurements of CH<sub>3</sub>O<sub&...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2015-02-01
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| Series: | Atmospheric Measurement Techniques |
| Online Access: | http://www.atmos-meas-tech.net/8/987/2015/amt-8-987-2015.pdf |
| _version_ | 1811209879902224384 |
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| author | B. A. Nault C. Garland S. E. Pusede P. J. Wooldridge K. Ullmann S. R. Hall R. C. Cohen |
| author_facet | B. A. Nault C. Garland S. E. Pusede P. J. Wooldridge K. Ullmann S. R. Hall R. C. Cohen |
| author_sort | B. A. Nault |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Methyl peroxy nitrate (CH<sub>3</sub>O<sub>2</sub>NO<sub>2</sub>) is a non-acyl peroxy nitrate
that is important for photochemistry at low temperatures characteristic of
the upper troposphere. We report the first measurements of
CH<sub>3</sub>O<sub>2</sub>NO<sub>2</sub>, which we achieved through a new aircraft inlet
configuration, combined with thermal-dissociation laser-induced fluorescence
(TD-LIF) detection of NO<sub>2</sub>, and describe the accuracy, specificity, and
interferences to CH<sub>3</sub>O<sub>2</sub>NO<sub>2</sub> measurements.
CH<sub>3</sub>O<sub>2</sub>NO<sub>2</sub> is predicted to be a ubiquitous interference to
upper-tropospheric NO<sub>2</sub> measurements. We describe an experimental
strategy for obtaining NO<sub>2</sub> observations free of the
CH<sub>3</sub>O<sub>2</sub>NO<sub>2</sub> interference. Using these new methods, we made
observations during two recent aircraft campaigns: the Deep Convective
Clouds and Chemistry (DC-3) and the Studies of Emissions and Atmospheric
Composition, Clouds, and Climate Coupling by Regional Surveys (SEAC4RS)
experiments. The CH<sub>3</sub>O<sub>2</sub>NO<sub>2</sub> measurements we report have a
detection limit (<i>S/N</i> = 2) of 15 pptv at 1 min averaging on a background
of 200 pptv NO<sub>2</sub> and an accuracy of ±40%. Observations are
used to constrain the interference of pernitric acid (HO<sub>2</sub>NO<sub>2</sub>) to
the CH<sub>3</sub>O<sub>2</sub>NO<sub>2</sub> measurements, as HO<sub>2</sub>NO<sub>2</sub> partially
decomposes (~11%) along with CH<sub>3</sub>O<sub>2</sub>NO<sub>2</sub> in
the heated CH<sub>3</sub>O<sub>2</sub>NO<sub>2</sub> channel used to detect
CH<sub>3</sub>O<sub>2</sub>NO<sub>2</sub>. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T04:46:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-122257e8fcc84cf398093900a14b4a6a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1867-1381 1867-8548 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T04:46:30Z |
| publishDate | 2015-02-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Atmospheric Measurement Techniques |
| spelling | doaj.art-122257e8fcc84cf398093900a14b4a6a2022-12-22T03:47:27ZengCopernicus PublicationsAtmospheric Measurement Techniques1867-13811867-85482015-02-018298799710.5194/amt-8-987-2015Measurements of CH<sub>3</sub>O<sub>2</sub>NO<sub>2</sub> in the upper troposphereB. A. Nault0C. Garland1S. E. Pusede2P. J. Wooldridge3K. Ullmann4S. R. Hall5R. C. Cohen6Department of Earth and Planetary Science, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USADepartment of Chemistry, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USADepartment of Chemistry, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USADepartment of Chemistry, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USAAtmospheric Chemistry Division, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO, USAAtmospheric Chemistry Division, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO, USADepartment of Earth and Planetary Science, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USAMethyl peroxy nitrate (CH<sub>3</sub>O<sub>2</sub>NO<sub>2</sub>) is a non-acyl peroxy nitrate that is important for photochemistry at low temperatures characteristic of the upper troposphere. We report the first measurements of CH<sub>3</sub>O<sub>2</sub>NO<sub>2</sub>, which we achieved through a new aircraft inlet configuration, combined with thermal-dissociation laser-induced fluorescence (TD-LIF) detection of NO<sub>2</sub>, and describe the accuracy, specificity, and interferences to CH<sub>3</sub>O<sub>2</sub>NO<sub>2</sub> measurements. CH<sub>3</sub>O<sub>2</sub>NO<sub>2</sub> is predicted to be a ubiquitous interference to upper-tropospheric NO<sub>2</sub> measurements. We describe an experimental strategy for obtaining NO<sub>2</sub> observations free of the CH<sub>3</sub>O<sub>2</sub>NO<sub>2</sub> interference. Using these new methods, we made observations during two recent aircraft campaigns: the Deep Convective Clouds and Chemistry (DC-3) and the Studies of Emissions and Atmospheric Composition, Clouds, and Climate Coupling by Regional Surveys (SEAC4RS) experiments. The CH<sub>3</sub>O<sub>2</sub>NO<sub>2</sub> measurements we report have a detection limit (<i>S/N</i> = 2) of 15 pptv at 1 min averaging on a background of 200 pptv NO<sub>2</sub> and an accuracy of ±40%. Observations are used to constrain the interference of pernitric acid (HO<sub>2</sub>NO<sub>2</sub>) to the CH<sub>3</sub>O<sub>2</sub>NO<sub>2</sub> measurements, as HO<sub>2</sub>NO<sub>2</sub> partially decomposes (~11%) along with CH<sub>3</sub>O<sub>2</sub>NO<sub>2</sub> in the heated CH<sub>3</sub>O<sub>2</sub>NO<sub>2</sub> channel used to detect CH<sub>3</sub>O<sub>2</sub>NO<sub>2</sub>.http://www.atmos-meas-tech.net/8/987/2015/amt-8-987-2015.pdf |
| spellingShingle | B. A. Nault C. Garland S. E. Pusede P. J. Wooldridge K. Ullmann S. R. Hall R. C. Cohen Measurements of CH<sub>3</sub>O<sub>2</sub>NO<sub>2</sub> in the upper troposphere Atmospheric Measurement Techniques |
| title | Measurements of CH<sub>3</sub>O<sub>2</sub>NO<sub>2</sub> in the upper troposphere |
| title_full | Measurements of CH<sub>3</sub>O<sub>2</sub>NO<sub>2</sub> in the upper troposphere |
| title_fullStr | Measurements of CH<sub>3</sub>O<sub>2</sub>NO<sub>2</sub> in the upper troposphere |
| title_full_unstemmed | Measurements of CH<sub>3</sub>O<sub>2</sub>NO<sub>2</sub> in the upper troposphere |
| title_short | Measurements of CH<sub>3</sub>O<sub>2</sub>NO<sub>2</sub> in the upper troposphere |
| title_sort | measurements of ch sub 3 sub o sub 2 sub no sub 2 sub in the upper troposphere |
| url | http://www.atmos-meas-tech.net/8/987/2015/amt-8-987-2015.pdf |
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