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Atmospheric reactions and ultraviolet and infrared absorptivities of nitrogen trifluoride
Author(s) -
Molina Luisa T.,
Wooldridge Paul J.,
Molina Mario J.
Publication year - 1995
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 - 10.1029/95gl01669
Subject(s) - stratosphere , photodissociation , infrared , nitrogen , ultraviolet , atmospheric chemistry , photochemistry , absorption (acoustics) , infrared spectroscopy , yield (engineering) , atmosphere (unit) , chemistry , materials science , atmospheric sciences , analytical chemistry (journal) , environmental science , ozone , environmental chemistry , thermodynamics , optics , physics , organic chemistry , optoelectronics , composite material , metallurgy
Nitrogen trifluoride is found to be stable towards photo‐oxidation reactions that limit the atmospheric lifetimes of many gaseous species. Reactions with species such as OH and HO 2 are thermodynamically unfavorable. The reaction with O 3 , while thermodynamically favorable, is found to be too slow to be of atmospheric importance. Measurements of the NF 3 absorption cross‐sections from 180 to 250 nm yield values that are smaller than those previously reported, and indicate an atmospheric lifetime against photodissociation in the stratosphere of about seven hundred years. In addition, the infrared band strengths were determined in order to enable estimates of greenhouse warming potentials. A slow reaction with aqueous Fe 2+ was observed at room temperature; it could provide an additional destruction mechanism in the environment.