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N 2 O and CO production by electric discharge: Atmospheric implications
Author(s) -
Levine Joel S.,
Hughes Ron E.,
Chameides William L.,
Howell William E.
Publication year - 1979
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/gl006i007p00557
Subject(s) - joule heating , atmosphere (unit) , lightning (connector) , shock wave , atmospheric sciences , electric discharge , troposphere , production rate , environmental science , trace gas , analytical chemistry (journal) , materials science , environmental chemistry , chemistry , meteorology , thermodynamics , physics , electrode , engineering , composite material , industrial engineering , power (physics)
Enhanced levels of N 2 O and CO were measured in tropospheric air samples exposed to a 17.5 × 10³ joule laboratory discharge. These enhanced levels correspond to an N 2 O production rate of about 4 × 10 12 molecules joule −1 and a CO production rate of about 1 × 10 14 molecules joule −1 . The CO measurements suggest that the primary region of chemical production in the discharge is the shocked air surrounding the lightning channel, as opposed to the slower‐cooling inner core. Additional experiments in a simulated Venus atmosphere (CO 2 ‐ 95%, N 2 ‐ 5%, at one atmosphere) indicate an enhancement of CO from less than 0.1 ppm prior to the laboratory discharge to more than 2000 ppm after the discharge. Comparison with theoretical calculations appears to confirm the ability of a shock wave/thermochemical model to predict the rate of production of trace species by an electrical discharge.