Atmospheric chemistry hinges on better physics model

New theoretical physics models could help us better grasp the atmospheric chemistry of ozone depletion. Indeed, understanding photoabsorption of nitrous oxide (N2O) -- a process which involves the transfer of the energy of a photon to the molecule -- matters because a small fraction of N2O reacts with oxygen atoms in the stratosphere to produce among others nitric oxide (NO). The latter participates in the catalytic destruction of ozone (O3). Now, new theoretical work unveils the actual dynamic ...