ALBERT

Description: Hypobromous acid (HOBr) is a key species linking inorganic bromine to the chlorine and odd hydrogen chemical families. We have measured the solubility of HOBr in 45-70wt% sulfuric acid solutions representative of upper tropospheric and lower stratospheric aerosol composition. Over the temperature range 201-252 K, HOBr is quite soluble in sulfuric acid, with an effective Henry's law coefficient, H*=104-107mol L-1atm-1. H* is inversely dependent on temperature, with ΔH=-45.0±5.4 kJ mol-1 and ΔS=-101±24 J mol-1K-1 for 55-70wt% H2SO4 solutions. Our study includes temperatures which overlap both previous measurements of HOBr solubility. For uptake into 55-70wt% H2SO4, the solubility is described by log H*=(2349±280)/T-(5.27±1.24). At temperatures colder than ~213K, the solubility of HOBr in 45wt% H2SO4 is at least a factor of five larger than in 70wt% H2SO4, with log H*=(3665±270)/T-(10.63±1.23). The solubility of HOBr is comparable to that of HBr, indicating that upper tropospheric and lower stratospheric aerosols should contain equilibrium concentrations of HOBr which equal or exceed those of HBr. Upon uptake of HOBr into aqueous sulfuric acid in the presence of other brominated gases, particularly for 70wt% H2SO4 solution, our measurements demonstrate chemical reaction of HOBr followed by evolution of gaseous products including Br2O and Br2.

Description: The Arctic is warming at twice the global average speed, and the warming-induced increases in biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOC) emissions from arctic plants are expected to be drastic. The current global models' estimations of minimal BVOC emissions from the Arctic are based on very few observations and have been challenged by increasing field data. This study applied a dynamic ecosystem model, LPJ-GUESS, as a platform to investigate short-term and long-term BVOC emission responses to climate warming. Field observations in a subarctic heath tundra with long-term (13 years) warming treatments were extensively used for parameterizing and evaluating BVOC related processes. We proposed an adjusted temperature (T) response curve for arctic plants with much stronger T sensitivity than the commonly-used algorithms for large-scale modelling. The simulated emission responses to 2 °C warming between the adjusted and original T response curves in the model were evaluated against the observed warming responses (WR) at short-term scales. Moreover, the model's responses to higher levels' warming (4 °C and 8 °C) were also investigated as a sensitivity test. The model was able to reproduce vegetation CO2 fluxes as well as day-to-day variability of isoprene and monoterpene emissions. The modelled BVOC WR, especially for isoprene, were better captured by using the adjusted T response curve, comparing with using the original one. A few days' underestimation of leaf T led to the underestimated emission rates as well as WR. During 1999–2012, the modelled annual mean isoprene and monoterpene emissions were 20 and 8 mg C m−2 yr−1, with an increase in emission by 55 % and 57 % for 2 °C summertime warming, respectively. Warming by 4 °C and 8 °C further elevated isoprene emission for all years compared with 2 °C warming, but the impacts on monoterpene emissions levelled off because of a decreased coverage of monoterpene-emitters among the evergreen prostrate dwarf shrubs. The high WR captured by the adjusted T response curve highlight the strong T sensitivity of arctic plants. At short-term scale, the WR seem to be strongly impacted by leaf T; while at long-term scale, the WR are a combined effect of plant functional type (PFT) dynamics as well as instantaneous BVOC responses to warming. The identified essential issues associated with estimating arctic BVOC emissions are: (1) leaf T estimation/extrapolation based on air T; (2) PFT parameterization accounting for BVOC emission features as well as PFT's responses to warming; and (3) representation of vegetation dynamics in the past and the future.

Description: Results on the formation and propagation of electron phase space vortices from laboratory experiments are summarized. The electron phase space vortices were excited in a strongly magnetized Q-machine plasma by applying a pulse to a segment of a waveguide surrounding the plasma. Depending on the temporal variation of the applied pulse, one or more phase space vortices can be excited, and their interaction can be followed in space and time. We were able to demonstrate, for instance, an irreversible coalescence of two such vortices. These results are extended by numerical simulations, showing how electron phase space vortices can also be formed by beam instabilities. Furthermore, a study of ion phase space vortices is performed by numerical simulations. Both codes allow for an externally applied magnetic field in three spatial dimensions. Ion phase space vortices are formed by the nonlinear saturation of the ion-ion two-stream instability, excited by injecting an ion beam at the plasma boundary. By following the evolution of the ion distribution of the velocity perpendicular to the direction of propagation of the injected ion beam, we find a significant ion heating in the direction perpendicular to the magnetic field associated with the ion phase space vortices being formed. The results are relevant, for instance, for the interpretation of observations by instrumented spacecraft in the Earth's ionosphere and magnetosphere.

Description: Hypobromous acid (HOBr) is a key species linking inorganic bromine to the chlorine and odd hydrogen chemical families. We have measured the solubility of HOBr in 45–70 wt% sulfuric acid solutions representative of upper tropospheric and lower stratospheric aerosol composition. Over the temperature range 201–252 K, HOBr is quite soluble in sulfuric acid, with an effective Henry's law coefficient, H*=104-107 mol L-1 atm-1. H* is inversely dependent on temperature, with ΔH=-45.0±5.4 kJ mol-1 and ΔS=-101±24 J mol-1 K-1 for 55–70 wt% H2SO4 solutions. Our study includes temperatures which overlap both previous measurements of HOBr solubility. For uptake into 55–70 wt% H2SO4, the solubility is described by log H*=(2349±280)/T–(5.27±1.24). At temperatures colder than ~213 K, the solubility of HOBr in 45 wt% H2SO4 is at least a factor of five larger than in 70 wt% H2SO4, with log H*=(3665±270)/T–(10.63±1.23). The solubility of HOBr is comparable to that of HBr, indicating that upper tropospheric and lower stratospheric aerosols should contain equilibrium concentrations of HOBr which equal or exceed those of HBr. Upon uptake of HOBr into aqueous sulfuric acid in the presence of other brominated gases, particularly for 70 wt% H2SO4 solution, our measurements demonstrate chemical reaction of HOBr followed by evolution of gaseous products including Br2O and Br2.

Description: The Arctic is warming at twice the global average speed, and the warming-induced increases in biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) emissions from Arctic plants are expected to be drastic. The current global models' estimations of minimal BVOC emissions from the Arctic are based on very few observations and have been challenged increasingly by field data. This study applied a dynamic ecosystem model, LPJ-GUESS, as a platform to investigate short-term and long-term BVOC emission responses to Arctic climate warming. Field observations in a subarctic tundra heath with long-term (13-year) warming treatments were extensively used for parameterizing and evaluating BVOC-related processes (photosynthesis, emission responses to temperature and vegetation composition). We propose an adjusted temperature (T) response curve for Arctic plants with much stronger T sensitivity than the commonly used algorithms for large-scale modelling. The simulated emission responses to 2 °C warming between the adjusted and original T response curves were evaluated against the observed warming responses (WRs) at short-term scales. Moreover, the model responses to warming by 4 and 8 °C were also investigated as a sensitivity test. The model showed reasonable agreement to the observed vegetation CO2 fluxes in the main growing season as well as day-to-day variability of isoprene and monoterpene emissions. The observed relatively high WRs were better captured by the adjusted T response curve than by the common one. During 1999–2012, the modelled annual mean isoprene and monoterpene emissions were 20 and 8 mg C m−2 yr−1, with an increase by 55 and 57 % for 2 °C summertime warming, respectively. Warming by 4 and 8 °C for the same period further elevated isoprene emission for all years, but the impacts on monoterpene emissions levelled off during the last few years. At hour-day scale, the WRs seem to be strongly impacted by canopy air T, while at the day–year scale, the WRs are a combined effect of plant functional type (PFT) dynamics and instantaneous BVOC responses to warming. The identified challenges in estimating Arctic BVOC emissions are (1) correct leaf T estimation, (2) PFT parameterization accounting for plant emission features as well as physiological responses to warming, and (3) representation of long-term vegetation changes in the past and the future.

Description: Automatic samplers represent a convenient way to gather rain samples for isotope (δ18O and δ2H) and water quality analyses. Yet, most commercial collectors are expensive and do not reduce post-sampling evaporation and the associated isotope fractionation sufficiently. Thus, we have developed a microcontroller-based automatic rain sampler for timer-actuated collection of integral rain samples. Sampling periods are freely selectable (minutes to weeks), and the device is low-cost, simple, robust, and customizable. Moreover, a combination of design features reliably minimizes evaporation from the collection bottles. Evaporative losses were assessed by placing the pre-filled sampler in a laboratory oven with which a diurnal temperature regime (21–31 ∘C) was simulated for 26 weeks. At the end of the test, all bottles had lost less than 1 % of the original water amount, and all isotope shifts were within the analytical precision. These results show that even multi-week field deployments of the device would result in rather small evaporative mass losses and isotope shifts. Hence, we deem our sampler a useful addition to devices that are currently commercially available and/or described in the scientific literature. To enable reproduction, all relevant details on hard- and software are openly accessible.

Description: Automatic samplers represent a convenient way to gather rain samples for isotope (δ18O and δ2H) and water quality analyses. Yet, most commercial collectors are expensive and do not reduce post-sampling evaporation and the associated isotope fractionation sufficiently. Thus, we have developed a microcontroller-based automatic rain sampler for timer-actuated collection of integral rain samples. Sampling periods are freely selectable (minutes to weeks) and the device is low-cost, simple, robust, and customizable. Moreover, a combination of design features reliably minimizes evaporation from the collection bottles. Evaporation losses were assessed by placing the pre-filled sampler in a laboratory oven with which a diurnal temperature regime (21−31°C) was simulated for 26 weeks. At the end of the test, all bottles had lost less than 1‰ of the original water amount and all isotope shifts were within the analytical precision. These results show that even multi-week field deployments of the device would result in rather small evaporative mass losses and isotope shifts. Hence, we deem our sampler a useful addition to devices that are currently commercially available and/or described in the scientific literature. To enable reproduction, all relevant details on hard- and software are openly accessible.