On the Role of Vibrationally Excited H2 as a Source of OH in the Mesosphere
Abstract
It has recently been suggested that1 the reaction between vibrationally excited H2(v=1) and O(3P) atoms may be an important source of OH in the upper mesosphere. Here, we report accurate quantum calculations of rate coefficients for the O(3P)+H2(v=1) reaction and show that the proposed mechanism is not an important source of OH in the mesosphere2. The reaction of vibrationally excited H2(v=1-3) with oxygen atoms has also been suggested as a source of OH in photon dominated regions of the interstellar medium. We present results for v=2 and 3 of the H2 molecule using chemically accurate potential energy surfaces for the O+H2 system and quantum mechanical method for the calculation of the relevant cross sections and rate coefficients. This work was supported by NSF grant No. ATM-0205199. 1 L. M. Reynard and D. J. Donaldson, Geophys. Res. Lett. 28, 2157 (2001). 2 N. Balakrishnan, Geophys. Res. Lett. 31, L04106 (2004).
- Publication:
-
AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2004
- Bibcode:
- 2004AGUFMSA11A1108N
- Keywords:
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- 0310 Airglow and aurora;
- 0317 Chemical kinetic and photochemical properties;
- 0340 Middle atmosphere: composition and chemistry;
- 0342 Middle atmosphere: energy deposition;
- 0343 Planetary atmospheres (5405;
- 5407;
- 5409;
- 5704;
- 5705;
- 5707)