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The uptake of HNO 3 onto ice, NAT, and frozen sulfuric acid
Author(s) -
Hanson David R.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/92gl02182
Subject(s) - nitric acid , sulfuric acid , analytical chemistry (journal) , nat , mass spectrometry , chemistry , materials science , mineralogy , inorganic chemistry , chromatography , physics , quantum mechanics
The uptake of HNO 3 onto ice, HNO 3 ‐H 2 O layers, and solid H 2 SO 4 /H 2 O solutions were studied in a cylindrical flow tube in conjunction with a chemical ionization mass spectrometer detection system. An efficient loss of HNO 3 from the gas‐phase to these surfaces was observed and the uptake coefficient was ≥0.3. The HNO 3 ‐H 2 O layers formed, however, had HNO 3 vapor pressures significantly in excess of the expected values for NAT (nitric acid trihydrate). Supersaturations in HNO 3 of at least a factor of three and up to ten were observed suggesting a hindrance to the formation of NAT. These results imply that the condensation temperatures of Type I PSCs are 2–3 K colder than that expected for NAT.