This item reminds us that there
is a lot of chemistry out there that is poorly understood because it cannot be
accurately observed and measured. This
technology will apparently allow us do that a lot better.
Here it has led to the
understanding of reaction behavior of pollutants in the atmosphere which will
be welcome.
Perhaps it will now become
possible to investigate the ionic behavior of biologically active water. I have made a related conjecture that conforms
to established empirical evidence, but otherwise quite unprovable. Been able to
use this described technology to actually determine more detail would be a good
start.
It could launch a lot of new
science .
Researchers discover particle which could cool the planet
by Staff Writers
http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Researchers_discover_particle_which_could_cool_the_planet_999.html
In a breakthrough paper published in Science, researchers from The University of Manchester ,
The University of
Bristol
These invisible chemical intermediates are powerful oxidisers of
pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide, produced by combustion,
and can naturally clean up the atmosphere.
Although these chemical intermediates were hypothesised in the 1950s,
it is only now that they have been detected. Scientists now believe that, with
further research,
these species could play a major role in off-setting climate change.
The detection of the Criegee biradical and measurement of how fast it
reacts was made possible by a unique apparatus, designed by Sandia researchers,
that uses light from a third-generation synchrotron facility, at the Lawrence
Berkeley National Laboratory's Advanced Light Source.
The intense, tunable light from the synchrotron allowed researchers
to discern the formation and removal of different isomeric species - molecules
that contain the same atoms but arranged in different combinations.
The researchers found that the Criegee biradicals react more rapidly
than first thought and will accelerate the formation of sulphate and nitrate in
the atmosphere. These compounds will lead to aerosol formation and ultimately
to cloud formation with
the potential to cool the planet.
The formation of Criegee biradicals was first postulated by Rudolf
Criegee in the 1950s. However, despite their importance, it has not been
possible to directly study these important species in the laboratory.
In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature
increased by about 0.8 degrees C with about two thirds of the increase
occurring over just the last three decades.
Most countries have agreed that drastic cuts in greenhouse gas
emissions are required, and that future global warming should be limited to
below 2.0 degrees C (3.6 degrees F).
Dr Carl Percival, Reader in Atmospheric Chemistry at The University of
Manchester and one of the authors of the paper, believes there could be
significant research possibilities arising from the discovery of the Criegee
biradicals.
He said: "Criegee radicals have been impossible to measure until
this work
carried out at the Advanced Light Source. We have been able to quantify how
fast Criegee radicals react for the first time.
"Our results will have a significant impact on our understanding
of the oxidising capacity of the atmosphere and have wide ranging implications
for pollution and climate change.
"The main source of these Criegee biradicals does not depend on
sunlight and so these processes take place throughout the day and night."
Professor Dudley Shallcross, Professor in Atmospheric Chemistry at
The University of Bristol, added: "A significant ingredient required for
the production of these Criegee biradicals comes from chemicals released quite
naturally by plants, so natural ecosystems could be playing a significant role
in off-setting warming.'
No comments:
Post a Comment