Laboratory Study of H + O3 Product Yields Relevant to the Mesosphere

这项研究的目的是缩小这些信息差距。研究人员将调整他们的实验室硬件，以测量150-300 K范围内振动激发OH的分数产率。需要这些信息来准确地从OH气辉的卫星和地面观测中恢复温度。中层顶温度的知识是特别重要的量化这一大气区域的热收支，并监测长期trends.At海拔约87公里，放热的H + O3反应产生振动激发的羟基（OHv）。这种分子辐射可见光和近红外光（“气辉”），从中可以推断大气密度，温度和物种浓度。因此，OHV分子在中层顶是一个非常有价值的观测对象。虽然H + O3的总反应速率系数是众所周知的，振动OH产物产率的估计差异很大。此外，这些产量的温度依赖性从来没有确定的条件相关的中间层。这个奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过评估使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准的支持。

The goal of this research is to close these information gaps. The researchers will adapt their laboratory hardware to measure the fractional yields of vibrationally excited OH in the range of 150-300 K. This information is needed to accurately recover temperatures from satellite and ground-based observations of OH airglow. Knowledge of mesopause temperature is particularly important for quantifying the heat budget of this atmospheric region, and for monitoring long-term trends.At altitudes around 87 km, the exothermic H + O3 reaction produces vibrationally excited hydroxyl (OHv). This molecule radiates visible and near infrared light ("airglow") from which it is possible infer atmospheric density, temperature, and species concentrations. The OHv molecule is therefore an extremely valuable observable in the mesopause. Although the total reaction rate coefficient of H + O3 is well known, estimates of the vibrational OH product yields vary considerably. Moreover, the temperature dependence of these yields has never been determined for conditions relevant to the mesosphere.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.