Nitrous Acid and Nitrite in the Atmosphere

摘要

Nitrous acid is a minor trace gas, yet has an important influence on OH concentrations in the troposphere. Gas phase concentrations in both rural and urban air are larger than predicted from laboratory studies of homogeneous or heterogeneous chemistry. A better understanding of the mechanisms which produce nitrous acid in the atmosphere will lead to improved models of nitrogen oxide and OH chemistry, particularly in polluted air.