Vertical profiles of N2O5, CH4, N2O, and H2O inside the arctic vortex were retrieved from nighttime infrared limb emission spectra obtained during a flight of the Michelson interferometer for passive atmospheric sounding, balloonborne version (MIPAS-B) Fourier spectrometer from Kiruna (Sweden, 68¿ N) on March 14/15, 1992, as part of the European Arctic Stratospheric Ozone Experiment. Spectra were analyzed by a nonlinear multiparameter least squares fitting procedure in combination with an onion-peeling retrieval algorithm. The N2O5 results were derived from the intensity of the &ngr;12 band near 8 μm. These data represent the first ever reported N2O5 profile inside the polar vortex. Between 21.5 and 31.7 km altitude, N2O5 mixing ratios from 0.38 to 0.74 parts per billion by volume (ppbv) were inferred. Below 21.5 km there is a steep decrease in the mixing ratio toward values lower than 0.07 ppbv at 18.9 and 16.1 km. This discontinuity in the vertical profile correlates in altitude with the bulk of the Pinatubo aerosol layer inside the arctic vortex. N2O5 concentrations are calculated as a function of time since local sunset by using initial NO2 concentrations, O3 concentrations, aerosol surface area densities, and reaction rate coefficients, as found in the literature; calculated N2O5 concentrations are consistent with the MIPAS results. These suggest efficient heterogeneous hydrolysis of N2O5 having taken place on sulphate aerosol particles. Retrieved CH4 and N2O profiles reflect the subsided polar vortex air. ¿ American Geophysical Union 1995