15min:
OZONE RECOVERY IN THE PRESENCE OF O2(a1 Delta) FOR ATMOSPHERIC STUDIES.

MICHAEL C. HEAVEN, Department of Chemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322; VALERIY N. AZYAZOV, P.N. Lebedev Physical Institute, Samara Branch, Samara, Russia, 443029.

Rapid quenching of O2(a1 Delta) in O(3P)/O2/O3 mixtures has been observed using 248 nm laser photolysis of ozone to produce oxygen atoms and O2(a1 Delta) molecules. Collisional removal of O2(a1 Delta) was found to be correlated with the presence of O atoms. The kinetics indicate that vibrationally excited ozone is an important O2(a1 Delta) quenching agent in O(3P)/O2/O3 systems. The impact of this quenching channel on the O2(a1 Delta) and O3 levels in the atmosphere will be discussed.