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Yeung LY, Li S, Kohl IE, Haslun JA, Ostrom NE, Hu H, Fischer TP, Schauble EA, Young ED. Extreme enrichment in atmospheric 15N 15N. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2017; 3:eaao6741. [PMID: 29159288 PMCID: PMC5693561 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aao6741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2017] [Accepted: 10/26/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Molecular nitrogen (N2) comprises three-quarters of Earth's atmosphere and significant portions of other planetary atmospheres. We report a 19 per mil (‰) excess of 15N15N in air relative to a random distribution of nitrogen isotopes, an enrichment that is 10 times larger than what isotopic equilibration in the atmosphere allows. Biological experiments show that the main sources and sinks of N2 yield much smaller proportions of 15N15N in N2. Electrical discharge experiments, however, establish 15N15N excesses of up to +23‰. We argue that 15N15N accumulates in the atmosphere because of gas-phase chemistry in the thermosphere (>100 km altitude) on time scales comparable to those of biological cycling. The atmospheric 15N15N excess therefore reflects a planetary-scale balance of biogeochemical and atmospheric nitrogen chemistry, one that may also exist on other planets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurence Y. Yeung
- Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Shuning Li
- Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
- Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Issaku E. Kohl
- Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Joshua A. Haslun
- Department of Integrative Biology and Department of Energy Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Nathaniel E. Ostrom
- Department of Integrative Biology and Department of Energy Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Huanting Hu
- Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Tobias P. Fischer
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Edwin A. Schauble
- Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Edward D. Young
- Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
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Fox JL, Dalgarno A. The vibrational distribution of N2+in the terrestrial ionosphere. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012. [DOI: 10.1029/ja090ia08p07557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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Affiliation(s)
- P. G. Richards
- Department of Physics and Astronomy; George Mason University; Fairfax Virginia USA
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HASEGAWA KOICHI, DOI KENTARO, NAKAMURA KOICHI, TACHIBANA AKITOMO. Wavepacket dynamics and quantum mechanical energy densities in the quartet N+2+ O2system. Mol Phys 2003. [DOI: 10.1080/0026897021000035214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Richards PG. Ion and neutral density variations during ionospheric storms in September 1974: Comparison of measurement and models. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2002. [DOI: 10.1029/2002ja009278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Schlesier AC, Buonsanto MJ. The Millstone Hill ionospheric model and its application to the May 26-27, 1990, ionospheric storm. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 1999. [DOI: 10.1029/1999ja900250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Tachibana A, Nakamura K, Yano T, Sugiyama Y, Tanimura S. Quantum Chemical Study of Ion−Molecule Reactions in N2+ + O2 System. J Phys Chem A 1999. [DOI: 10.1021/jp983578s] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Akitomo Tachibana
- Department of Engineering Physics and Mechanics, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan, and Department of Molecular Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan
| | - Koichi Nakamura
- Department of Engineering Physics and Mechanics, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan, and Department of Molecular Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan
| | - Tasuku Yano
- Department of Engineering Physics and Mechanics, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan, and Department of Molecular Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan
| | - Yoichi Sugiyama
- Department of Engineering Physics and Mechanics, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan, and Department of Molecular Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan
| | - Shogo Tanimura
- Department of Engineering Physics and Mechanics, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan, and Department of Molecular Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan
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Knott WJ, Proch D, Kompa KL. State-selected ion-molecule reactions: The charge-transfer N2+(X,v+)+O2→O2++N2. J Chem Phys 1999. [DOI: 10.1063/1.478907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
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Kato S, Bierbaum VM, Leone SR. Multiquantum Vibrational Deactivation of N2+(v) by Collisions with N2 and O2 at Thermal Energies. J Phys Chem A 1998. [DOI: 10.1021/jp981679k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shuji Kato
- JILA, National Institute of Standards and Technology and University of Colorado, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0440
| | - Veronica M. Bierbaum
- JILA, National Institute of Standards and Technology and University of Colorado, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0440
| | - Stephen R. Leone
- JILA, National Institute of Standards and Technology and University of Colorado, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0440
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Knott WJ, Proch D, Kompa KL. The hydrogen atom abstraction reaction CO++H2→HCO++H: Translational and internal energy dependence of the integral cross section. J Chem Phys 1998. [DOI: 10.1063/1.475416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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Kato S, de Gouw JA, Lin C, Bierbaum VM, Leone SR. Vibrational enhancement of the charge transfer rate constant of N+2(v=0–4) with Kr at thermal energies. J Chem Phys 1996. [DOI: 10.1063/1.472386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
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Kato S, Bierbaum VM, Leone SR. Laser fluorescence and mass spectrometric measurements of vibrational relaxation of N2+(v) with He, Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 1995. [DOI: 10.1016/0168-1176(95)04283-q] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Knott WJ, Proch D, Kompa KL, Rose‐Petruck C. A guided‐ion beam study of the hydrogen atom transfer reaction of state‐selected N+2 with H2 at collision energies ranging from subthermal to 2 eV (c.m.). J Chem Phys 1995. [DOI: 10.1063/1.469394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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Buonsanto MJ, Richards PG, Tobiska WK, Solomon SC, Tung YK, Fennelly JA. Ionospheric electron densities calculated using different EUV flux models and cross sections: Comparison with radar data. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 1995. [DOI: 10.1029/95ja00680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Frost MJ, Kato S, Bierbaum VM, Leone SR. Kinetics and dynamics of vibrationally state resolved ion–molecule reactions: 14N+2(v=1 and 2) and 15N+2(v=0, 1, and 2) with 14N2. J Chem Phys 1994. [DOI: 10.1063/1.467097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
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Richards PG, Torr DG, Abdou WA. Effects of vibrational enhancement of N2on the cooling rate of ionospheric thermal electrons. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 1986. [DOI: 10.1029/ja091ia01p00304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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