Atmospheric photochemistry - it's a lot more complicated than we thought.

该项目计划开发一个更精确的大气变化模型。由于人类活动，地球大气层的化学成分正在发生变化。预测这种变化的后果需要精确的化学模型。羟基自由基（OH）是大气中最重要的自由基，但大气模型预测其在森林地区的浓度比测量值低约10倍。这些模型还预测有机酸的量低于测量值。该项目假设了两个新的化学过程来解释这些差异。羰基化合物到烯醇的光异构化被认为是有机酸的来源。非常热的羰基光碎片与氧的反应被假设为OH自由基的重要来源。

The project plans to develop a more accurate model of the changing atmosphere. The chemical composition of Earth’s atmosphere is changing because of anthropogenic activities. Predicting the consequences of this change requires accurate chemical models. The hydroxyl radical (OH) is the most important radical in the atmosphere, yet atmospheric models predict its concentration in forested regions to be about 10 times lower than measured. These models also predict the amount of organic acids to be lower than measured. This project hypothesises two new chemical processes to account for these discrepancies. Photo-isomerisation of carbonyls to enols is suggested to be a source of organic acids. Reaction of extraordinarily hot carbonyl photofragments with oxygen is hypothesised to be an important source of OH radicals.