Laser Induced Fluorescence in kinetic studies of atmospheric chemical reactions

The Laser Induced Fluorescence (LIF) technique has been extensively applied to kinetic studies of gas phase free radical reactions of atmospheric rele vance. The free radicals studied by LIF include OH, NO3, CH3O, C2H5O, SH, C H3S, CF3O and IO. The atmospheric chemistry of these free radicals is brief ly presented, The principles of reaction rate constant measurements and LIF analysis are also briefly described. The LIF characteristics of the above free radicals are reviewed and typical experimental kinetic set up using LI F analysis are presented. Selected examples of kinetic studies of atmospher ic free radical reactions by LIF are given, and emphasis is put on how the advantages of the technique are taken to improve the knowledge of atmospher ic reactions.