Open AccessConversion of mesospheric HCl into active chlorine during the solar proton event in July 2000 in the northern polar region
Author(s) -
Winkler H.,
Kazeminejad S.,
Sinnhuber M.,
Kallenrode M.B.,
Notholt J.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: atmospheres
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.67
H-Index - 298
eISSN - 2156-2202
pISSN - 0148-0227
DOI - 10.1029/2008jd011587
Subject(s) - chlorine , halogen , occultation , polar , atmospheric chemistry , chemistry , proton , ion , inorganic chemistry , environmental chemistry , photochemistry , ozone , organic chemistry , physics , alkyl , quantum mechanics , astronomy
For the large solar proton event of July 2000, the Halogen Occultation Experiment instrument observed a short‐term decrease of mesospheric HCl in the northern polar region. Atmospheric chemistry and ion chemistry simulations show that HCl is converted into active chlorine species (ClO, Cl, and HOCl). Two main processes drive the transformation of HCl into active chlorine: reactions of negative chlorine species directly increase the concentrations of uncharged active chlorine compounds at the expense of HCl and the production of reactive O( 1 D) through N( 2 D) + O 2 → O( 3 P, 1 D) + NO has a considerable impact on the neutral chlorine chemistry.