POTENTIAL FOR OZONE ENHANCEMENT IN RELATION TO SUPERSONIC FLIGHTS

A LARGE DEPLETION OF ATMOSPHERIC OZONE IS OCCURRING EACH AUSTRAL SPRING OVER ANTARCTICA. REFERRED TO AS THE OZONE HOLE PROBLEM, THE CONCERN IS THAT OZONE-POOR AIR FROM THE ANTARCTIC STRATOSPHERE IS MIXING WITH AIR AT LOWER LATITUDES. FURTHERMORE, THERE ARE INDICATIONS THAT THE SIZE OF THE HOLE COULD INCREASE AND WILL CONTINUE TO FORM FOR THE NEXT 90 YEARS EVEN IF CFC RELEASES ARE CONTROLLED. SUCH DECREASES IN THE PROTECTIVE OZONE SHIELD AGAINST DESTRUCTIVE SOLAR ULTRAVIOLET IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS FOR THE BIOSPHERE. THE PROPOSED RESEARCH IS DEDICATED TO EXAMINING THE POSSIBILITIES OF REGENERATING OZONE AND/OR ARRESTING ITS DESTRUCTION BY NULLIFYING THE EFFECTS OF TRACE CHEMICAL SPECIES THAT DEPLETE IT. TOWARDS THIS END, OZONE-FORMING (OR OZONE DEPLETION RETARDING) CANDIDATE SPECIES ARE POSTULATED. THEIR POSSIBLE REACTIONS WITH VARIOUS CHEMICAL SPECIES IN THE UPPER ATMOSPHERE ARE DERIVED WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF AN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE EXPERT SYSTEM. THE CANDIDATE SPECIES ARE THEN ASSESSED AN OZONE FORMING POTENTIAL AND FEASIBILITY (OFPF) GRADE BASED ON THE USE OF DYNAMICAL 1-D AND 2-D MODEL ATMOSPHERES AND X-30S (THE NATIONAL AEROSPACE PLANE) TO DELIVER THE NEEDED CHEMICALS TO THE STRATOSPHERE. A POSITIVE OFPF INDICATES A BENEFICIAL RESPONSE OF THE ATMOSPHERE TO THE CANDIDATE SPECIES.