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Composition measurements of stratospheric positive ions
Author(s) -
Arnold F.,
Böhringer H.,
Henschen G.
Publication year - 1978
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/gl005i008p00653
Subject(s) - trace gas , ion , mass spectrometry , proton , altitude (triangle) , analytical chemistry (journal) , chemistry , atmospheric chemistry , environmental chemistry , atmospheric sciences , physics , ozone , geometry , mathematics , quantum mechanics , organic chemistry , chromatography
Three composition measurements of stratospheric positive ions conducted during daytime at 33‐37 km altitude by use of balloon‐borne mass spectrometers revealed the presence of two families of ion species, proton hydrates (PH) and non‐proton hydrates (NPH ) having about equal abundances. The major PH are H + (H 2 O) 3 H + (H 2 O) 4 and H + (H 2 O) 5 among which the fourth hydrate is by far most abundant. Among the NPH which possibly have the form H + x 1 (H 2 O) m , with x having mass 41 ± 1,96 ± 1, (H + x(H 2 O) 3 3) is most abundant. Arguments are put forward inferring a formation of NPH from PH reacting with a stratospheric trace gas x whose proton affinity exceeds that of water and whose concentration is estimated to be 7 · 10 4 cm −3 at 37 km altitude. The possibility of probing atmospheric trace gases by in situ ion composition measurements is discussed and upper abundance limits are given for various gases.