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AGU: Geophysical Research Letters

 

Index Terms

  • Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Airglow and aurora
  • Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Chemical kinetic and photochemical properties
  • Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Middle atmosphere—composition and chemistry
  • Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Middle atmosphere—constituent transport and chemistry
  • Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Middle atmosphere—energy deposition

Abstract

On the role of vibrationally excited H2 as a source of OH in the mesosphere

N. Balakrishnan

Department of Chemistry, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

It has recently been suggested that the reaction between vibrationally excited H2(v = 1) and O(3 P) atoms may be an important source of OH in the upper mesosphere. Here, we report accurate quantum calculations of rate coefficients for the O(3 P) + H2(v = 1) reaction and show that the proposed mechanism is not an important source of OH in the mesosphere. Our calculation employs chemically accurate potential energy surfaces for the O + H2 system and quantum mechanical method for the calculation of the relevant cross sections and rate coefficients.

Received 12 November 2003; accepted 16 December 2003; published 21 February 2004.

Citation: Balakrishnan, N. (2004), On the role of vibrationally excited H2 as a source of OH in the mesosphere, Geophys. Res. Lett., 31, L04106, doi:10.1029/2003GL019059.

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