Photoselective isotope fractionation dynamics of N₂ with cosmo and atmospheric chemistry perspectives.

ABSTRACT: Stable isotope ratio measurements provide valuable insights into a broad range of natural processes, from planetary atmospheres and climate to interstellar chemistry. Nitrogen, which has two stable isotopes, exhibits varying isotope ratios across the solar system. To model these observations, the isotope fraction as a function of energy is essential. At the Advanced Light Source (ALS), we measured the photodissociation of molecular nitrogen (N₂) with vacuum UV photons where a single photon is sufficiently energetic to dissociate the strong bond. The nitrogen atoms produced are scavenged with H₂ to form ammonia, whose isotopic makeup is determined. Blending the experiments with dynamical computations that include the shielding of light, we examine the isotopic composit

SUBMITTER: Komarova K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12305009 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature