Estimating N2O5 uptake coefficients using ambient measurements of NO3, N2O5, ClNO2 and particle-phase nitrate

• Published in: Atmospheric chemistry and physics Vol. 16; no. 20; pp. 13231 - 13249
• Main Authors: Phillips, Gavin J, Thieser, Jim, Tang, Mingjin, Sobanski, Nicolas, Schuster, Gerhard, Fachinger, Johannes, Drewnick, Frank, Borrmann, Stephan, Bingemer, Heinz, Lelieveld, Jos, Crowley, John N
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Katlenburg-Lindau Copernicus GmbH 27.10.2016; Copernicus Publications
• Subjects: Atmospheric aerosols; Atoms & subatomic particles; Chemistry; Chloride; Chlorides; Coefficients; Gas composition; Humidity; Laboratories; Mountains; Nitrates; Nitryl chlorides; Observatories; Oxidation; Particle composition; Relative humidity; Trace gases; Uptake; Yields; Germany
• ISSN: 1680-7316; 1680-7324
• DOI: 10.5194/acp-16-13231-2016

We present an estimation of the uptake coefficient (γ) and yield of nitryl chloride (ClNO2) (f) for the heterogeneous processing of dinitrogen pentoxide (N2O5) using simultaneous measurements of particle and trace gas composition at a semi-rural, non-coastal, mountain site in the summer of 2011. The yield of ClNO2 varied between (0.035±0.027) and (1.38±0.60) with a campaign average of (0.49±0.35). The large variability in f reflects the highly variable chloride content of particles at the site. Uptake coefficients were also highly variable with minimum, maximum and average γ values of 0.004, 0.11 and 0.028±0.029, respectively, with no significant correlation with particle composition, but a weak dependence on relative humidity. The uptake coefficients obtained are compared to existing parameterizations based on laboratory datasets and with other values obtained by analysis of field data.