Articles | Volume 10, issue 20
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-10-9781-2010
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-10-9781-2010
19 Oct 2010
 | 19 Oct 2010

Night-time chemistry above London: measurements of NO3 and N2O5 from the BT Tower

A. K. Benton, J. M. Langridge, S. M. Ball, W. J. Bloss, M. Dall'Osto, E. Nemitz, R. M. Harrison, and R. L. Jones

Abstract. Broadband cavity enhanced absorption spectroscopy (BBCEAS) has been used to measure the sum of concentrations of NO3 and N2O5 from the BT (telecommunications) Tower 160 m above street level in central London during the REPARTEE II campaign in October and November 2007. Substantial variability was observed in these night-time nitrogen compounds: peak NO3+N2O5 mixing ratios reached 800 pptv, whereas the mean night-time NO3+N2O5 was approximately 30 pptv. Additionally, [NO3+N2O5] showed negative correlations with [NO] and [NO2] and a positive correlation with [O3]. Co-measurements of temperature and NO2 from the BT Tower were used to calculate the equilibrium partitioning between NO3 and N2O5 which was always found to strongly favour N2O5 (NO3/N2O5=0.01 to 0.04). Two methods are used to calculate the lifetimes for NO3 and N2O5, the results being compared and discussed in terms of the implications for the night-time oxidation of nitrogen oxides and the night-time sinks for NOy.

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