James B. Burkholder

Abstract: The absorption spectrum of O2 and O2-O2 collision pairs were measured over the wavelength range from 330 to 1140 nm using pressures of O2 from 1 to 55 atm at 298 K. Absorption cross sections, pressure dependences, band centers, and full widths at half maximum of the observed absorption bands centered at 343.4, 360.5, 380.2, 446.7, 477.3, 532.2, 577.2, 630.0, 688, 762, and 1065.2 nm are reported. The absorption bands centered at 360.5, 380.2, and 477.3 nm were also measured at 196 K and their temperature dependences were characterized.

Abstract: Light absorption by soot or nigrosin dye aerosol particles were measured in the laboratory using a particle soot absorption photometer (PSAP) and a photo-acoustic spectrometer (PAS) to assess the influence of non-absorbing organic aerosol (OA) on the PSAP measurements. For the PSAP, particle light absorption is measured after collection on a filter, whereas for the PAS light absorption is measured while the particles remain suspended in the gas phase. OA was generated from the reaction of α -pinene with ozone. It was observed that the presence of this OA in an external mixture of absorbing aerosol and OA can cause an increase in the light absorption measured by the PSAP, relative to that measured by the PAS, by more than a factor of two. This enhancement in the PSAP absorption was found to increase as the amount of OA increased relative to the absorbing compound. Additionally, experiments where absorbing aerosol was deposited on a PSAP filter prior to addition of OA demonstrated that the non-absorbing OA ...

Abstract: A wetted wall flow tube reactor was used to measure the uptake coefficients, γ, of OH and HO 2 on pure water at 275 K and 28% w/w sulfuric acid at 249 K. The uptake coefficients are lower limits to the mass accommodation coefficients, α, and the γ were determined to be 0.0035 for OH and >0.01 for HO 2 on liquid water and >0.08 for OH and >0.05 for HO 2 on the sulfuric and solution. In addition, the binary diffusion coefficients for HO 2 and OH in water vapor were estimated to be 79±8 and 116±20 Torr cm 2 s -1 , respectively, at 275 K

Abstract: This paper summarizes measured photodissociation quantum yields for acetone in the 290-320 nm wavelength region for pressures and temperatures characteristic of the upper troposphere. Calculations combine this laboratory data with trace gas concentrations obtained during the NASA and NOAA sponsored Stratospheric Tracers of Atmospheric Transport (STRAT) field campaign, in which measurements of OH, HO_(2), odd-nitrogen, and other compounds were collected over Hawaii, and west of California during fall and winter of 1995/1996. OH and HO_(2) concentrations within 2 to 5 km layers just below the tropopause are ∼50% larger than expected from O_(3), CH_(4), and H_(2)O chemistry alone. Although not measured during STRAT, acetone is inferred from CO measurements and acetone-CO correlations from a previous field study. These inferred acetone levels are a significant source of odd-hydrogen radicals that can explain a large part of the discrepancy in the upper troposphere. For lower altitudes, the inferred acetone makes a negligible contribution to HO_(x) (HO+HO_(2)), but influences NO_(y) partitioning. A major fraction of HO_(x) production by acetone is through CH_(2)O formation, and the HO_(x) discrepancy can also be explained by CH_(2)O levels in the 20 to 50 pptv range, regardless of the source.

Abstract: Laboratory measurements of the infrared and near-ultraviolet absorption characteristics of CF{sub 3}I (a potentially useful substitute for halons) are presented. Using these data together with a detailed photochemical model, it is shown that the lifetime of this gas in the sunlit atmosphere is less than a day. The chemistry of iodine in the stratosphere is evaluated, and it is shown that any iodine that reaches the stratosphere will be very effective for ozone destruction here. However, the extremely short lifetime of CF{sub 3}I greatly limits its transport to the stratosphere when released at the surface, especially at midlatitudes, and the total anthropogenic surface release of CF{sub 3}I is likely to be far less than that of natural iodocarbons such as CH{sub 3}I on a global basis. It is highly probable that the steady-state ozone depletion potential (ODP) of CF{sub 3}I for surface releases is less than 0.008 and more likely baelow 0.0001. Measured infrared absorption data are also combined with the lifetime to show that the 20-year global warming potential (GWP) of this gas is likely to be very small, less than 5. Therefore this study suggests that neither the ODP nor the GWP of this gas represent significant obstaclesmore » to its use as a replacement for halons. 34 refs., 3 figs., 2 tabs.« less

Abstract: This paper describes the contents of the 2016 edition of the HITRAN molecular spectroscopic compilation. The new edition replaces the previous HITRAN edition of 2012 and its updates during the intervening years. The HITRAN molecular absorption compilation is composed of five major components: the traditional line-by-line spectroscopic parameters required for high-resolution radiative-transfer codes, infrared absorption cross-sections for molecules not yet amenable to representation in a line-by-line form, collision-induced absorption data, aerosol indices of refraction, and general tables such as partition sums that apply globally to the data. The new HITRAN is greatly extended in terms of accuracy, spectral coverage, additional absorption phenomena, added line-shape formalisms, and validity. Moreover, molecules, isotopologues, and perturbing gases have been added that address the issues of atmospheres beyond the Earth. Of considerable note, experimental IR cross-sections for almost 300 additional molecules important in different areas of atmospheric science have been added to the database. The compilation can be accessed through www.hitran.org. Most of the HITRAN data have now been cast into an underlying relational database structure that offers many advantages over the long-standing sequential text-based structure. The new structure empowers the user in many ways. It enables the incorporation of an extended set of fundamental parameters per transition, sophisticated line-shape formalisms, easy user-defined output formats, and very convenient searching, filtering, and plotting of data. A powerful application programming interface making use of structured query language (SQL) features for higher-level applications of HITRAN is also provided.

Abstract: Nitric oxide contrasts with most intercellular messengers because it diffuses rapidly and isotropically through most tissues with little reaction but cannot be transported through the vasculature due to rapid destruction by oxyhemoglobin. The rapid diffusion of nitric oxide between cells allows it to locally integrate the responses of blood vessels to turbulence, modulate synaptic plasticity in neurons, and control the oscillatory behavior of neuronal networks. Nitric oxide is not necessarily short lived and is intrinsically no more reactive than oxygen. The reactivity of nitric oxide per se has been greatly overestimated in vitro because no drain is provided to remove nitric oxide. Nitric oxide persists in solution for several minutes in micromolar concentrations before it reacts with oxygen to form much stronger oxidants like nitrogen dioxide. Nitric oxide is removed within seconds in vivo by diffusion over 100 microns through tissues to enter red blood cells and react with oxyhemoglobin. The direct toxicity of nitric oxide is modest but is greatly enhanced by reacting with superoxide to form peroxynitrite (ONOO-). Nitric oxide is the only biological molecule produced in high enough concentrations to out-compete superoxide dismutase for superoxide. Peroxynitrite reacts relatively slowly with most biological molecules, making peroxynitrite a selective oxidant. Peroxynitrite modifies tyrosine in proteins to create nitrotyrosines, leaving a footprint detectable in vivo. Nitration of structural proteins, including neurofilaments and actin, can disrupt filament assembly with major pathological consequences. Antibodies to nitrotyrosine have revealed nitration in human atherosclerosis, myocardial ischemia, septic and distressed lung, inflammatory bowel disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Abstract: Black carbon aerosol plays a unique and important role in Earth's climate system. Black carbon is a type of carbonaceous material with a unique combination of physical properties. This assessment provides an evaluation of black-carbon climate forcing that is comprehensive in its inclusion of all known and relevant processes and that is quantitative in providing best estimates and uncertainties of the main forcing terms: direct solar absorption; influence on liquid, mixed phase, and ice clouds; and deposition on snow and ice. These effects are calculated with climate models, but when possible, they are evaluated with both microphysical measurements and field observations. Predominant sources are combustion related, namely, fossil fuels for transportation, solid fuels for industrial and residential uses, and open burning of biomass. Total global emissions of black carbon using bottom-up inventory methods are 7500 Gg yr−1 in the year 2000 with an uncertainty range of 2000 to 29000. However, global atmospheric absorption attributable to black carbon is too low in many models and should be increased by a factor of almost 3. After this scaling, the best estimate for the industrial-era (1750 to 2005) direct radiative forcing of atmospheric black carbon is +0.71 W m−2 with 90% uncertainty bounds of (+0.08, +1.27) W m−2. Total direct forcing by all black carbon sources, without subtracting the preindustrial background, is estimated as +0.88 (+0.17, +1.48) W m−2. Direct radiative forcing alone does not capture important rapid adjustment mechanisms. A framework is described and used for quantifying climate forcings, including rapid adjustments. The best estimate of industrial-era climate forcing of black carbon through all forcing mechanisms, including clouds and cryosphere forcing, is +1.1 W m−2 with 90% uncertainty bounds of +0.17 to +2.1 W m−2. Thus, there is a very high probability that black carbon emissions, independent of co-emitted species, have a positive forcing and warm the climate. We estimate that black carbon, with a total climate forcing of +1.1 W m−2, is the second most important human emission in terms of its climate forcing in the present-day atmosphere; only carbon dioxide is estimated to have a greater forcing. Sources that emit black carbon also emit other short-lived species that may either cool or warm climate. Climate forcings from co-emitted species are estimated and used in the framework described herein. When the principal effects of short-lived co-emissions, including cooling agents such as sulfur dioxide, are included in net forcing, energy-related sources (fossil fuel and biofuel) have an industrial-era climate forcing of +0.22 (−0.50 to +1.08) W m−2 during the first year after emission. For a few of these sources, such as diesel engines and possibly residential biofuels, warming is strong enough that eliminating all short-lived emissions from these sources would reduce net climate forcing (i.e., produce cooling). When open burning emissions, which emit high levels of organic matter, are included in the total, the best estimate of net industrial-era climate forcing by all short-lived species from black-carbon-rich sources becomes slightly negative (−0.06 W m−2 with 90% uncertainty bounds of −1.45 to +1.29 W m−2). The uncertainties in net climate forcing from black-carbon-rich sources are substantial, largely due to lack of knowledge about cloud interactions with both black carbon and co-emitted organic carbon. In prioritizing potential black-carbon mitigation actions, non-science factors, such as technical feasibility, costs, policy design, and implementation feasibility play important roles. The major sources of black carbon are presently in different stages with regard to the feasibility for near-term mitigation. This assessment, by evaluating the large number and complexity of the associated physical and radiative processes in black-carbon climate forcing, sets a baseline from which to improve future climate forcing estimates.

Abstract: This chapter should be cited as: Myhre, G., D. Shindell, F.-M. Bréon, W. Collins, J. Fuglestvedt, J. Huang, D. Koch, J.-F. Lamarque, D. Lee, B. Mendoza, T. Nakajima, A. Robock, G. Stephens, T. Takemura and H. Zhang, 2013: Anthropogenic and Natural Radiative Forcing. In: Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Stocker, T.F., D. Qin, G.-K. Plattner, M. Tignor, S.K. Allen, J. Boschung, A. Nauels, Y. Xia, V. Bex and P.M. Midgley (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA. Coordinating Lead Authors: Gunnar Myhre (Norway), Drew Shindell (USA)

Abstract: The present status of knowledge of the gas-phase reactions of inorganic Ox, HOx and NOx species and of selected classes of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) [alkanes, alkenes, aromatic hydrocarbons, oxygen-containing VOCs and nitrogen-containing VOCs] and their degradation products in the troposphere is discussed. There is now a good qualitative and, in a number of areas, quantitative understanding of the tropospheric chemistry of NOx and VOCs involved in the photochemical formation of ozone. During the past five years much progress has been made in elucidating the reactions of alkoxy radicals, the mechanisms of the gas-phase reactions of O3 with alkenes, and the mechanisms and products of the OH radical-initiated reactions of aromatic hydrocarbons, and further progress is expected. However, there are still areas of uncertainty which impact the ability to accurately model the formation of ozone in urban, rural and regional areas, and these include a need for: rate constants and mechanisms of the reactions of organic peroxy ( R O 2 ) radicals with NO, NO3 radicals, HO2 radicals and other R O 2 radicals; organic nitrate yields from the reactions of R O 2 radicals with NO, preferably as a function of temperature and pressure; the reaction rates of alkoxy radicals for decomposition, isomerization, and reaction with O2, especially for alkoxy radicals other than those formed from alkanes and alkenes; the detailed mechanisms of the reactions of O3 with alkenes and VOCs containing >CC