Atmospheric photodissociation rate coefficients and photodissociation lifetimes for nitromethane, methyl nitrite, and methyl nitrate were calculated as a function of altitude from their measured visible and near ultraviolet photoabsorption cross sections at 298 K. The lifetime of methyl nitrite is nearly independent of altitude and is approximately 2 min. From 0 to 50 km the lifetime of nitromethane varies from 10 to 0.5 hr, while that of methyl nitrate changes from 5.3 to 0.09 days, respectively.
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