The present report describes a new phenomenon, namely the formation of a nanoscale hydrosol during short-term exposure of the surface of water by focused terahertz radiation of the Novosibirsk free-electron laser. The composition of the particles is completely determined by the material of the container used. Hydrosols are technologically convenient forms for scientific and industrial applications, which are characterized by uniform deposition and high catalytic activity used in medicine, optics, and as a suspension for sample preparation for chemical and elemental analysis. This article presents the results of our study of graphite particles formed in water, a suspension, which is in demand for industrial purposes. Commercially available high purity graphite (99.5%) of GE grade is used. The initial material and the resulting particles are studied using an atomic force and electron microscope with an elemental analyzer.

The atmospheric air quality is determined by the concentrations of some gaseous pollutants and mass concentrations of aerosol particles of different sizes. A wide range of atmospheric pollutants in both gaseous and aerosol phases was studied in the vicinity of Gelendzhik in July 2009, simultaneously at several land sites, in the water area of the bay, and at altitudes of up to 2200m. No such complex experiments were carried out in that region before. The following characteristics of the atmospheric aerosol (3 nm–32 μm in size) were studied: elemental composition of particles (23 chemical elements) and concentrations of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (14 compounds), unsaturated hydrocarbons, total protein, biotoxins, and culturable microorganisms. The concentration fields of different air pollutants and the complex air pollution index were constructed using mathematical models of pollutant propagation and data on the hydrometeorological conditions during the period of measurements. The sources of aerosols in the region were detected from the study of the chemical composition of airborne particles. The results allowed us to estimate air pollutants and to calculate the complex air pollution index for the Gelendzhik area. The daily average concentrations of all the pollutants were compared to the daily average maximum permissible concentrations. All these concentrations were less than daily average maximum permissible concentrations. The complex air pollution index did not exceed 1. Hence, the air in the vicinity of Gelendzhik did not contain any significant pollutants in the period under study.

We study the annual behavior of the concentration of organic components of the atmospheric aerosol, sampled onboard the Tu-134 Optik airborne laboratory in the atmospheric layer of 500–8500 m. The concentration of the organic component in aerosol composition is found to be maximal during spring and minimal during fall. Compounds ranging from C 8 H 18 to C 35 H 72 are detected in the composition of aerosol particles. The range of hydrocarbons is the widest during the winter period (C 12 H 26 –C 35 H 72 ) and during spring (C 8 H 18 –C 31 H 64 ), and it is markedly narrower during summer (C 18 H 38 –C 33 H 68 ) and during fall (C 16 H 34 –C 31 H 64 ). One mode ( n -alkane C 20 H 42 ) predominates in aerosol composition throughout the year. A secondary maximum, corresponding to n -alkane C 29 H 60 , appears during the summer period.

Results of observation of the generation of aerosol particles and droplets in mixtures of saturated water vapor with air and molecular gases are described. The kinetics of generation of aerosol and droplets was studied in the absence of a monokinetic electron beam and under its influence on a gas mixed with supersaturated water vapor formed in the process of a controllable pressure discharge from a spherical chamber of 1.4 m diameter with the gas mixture into a vacuum reservoir ~40 m3 in volume. The generation kinetics was recorded by the low-angle laser beam scattering method (for droplets) and with an aerosol spectrometer (for particles). Experimental results show a significant dependence of droplet and particle generation on the ionizing radiation effect. The 3D computer simulation of the process of super-saturated water vapor condensation on ions by the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) and molecular dynamics (MD) describes qualitatively the experimental results.

Round-the-clock measurements of the black carbon size distribution in the submicron near-ground aerosol of Western Siberia performed in 2014 by the diffusion method developed by the authors are analyzed. It is revealed that the tendency for decreasing the volume median diameter and the amplitude of distribution of the black carbon is traced in the seasonal dynamics of the average monthly black carbon particle size distribution (approximated by a single-mode lognormal function) during winter-to-summer season transition. The shape of the black carbon size distributions is in agreement with measurements by other well-known methods in different geographic regions.

The present report examines the impact of terahertz radiation of Novosibirsk free electron laser on the state of membrane and morphology of hepatocytes and erythrocytes in vitro. The aim of this work is a detailed study of the effects of terahertz laser radiation on cells, identification of the specific membrane effects, and comparison with similar effects to the erythrocytes.

The primary objective of this complex aerosol experiment was the measurement of microphysical, chemical, and optical properties of aerosol particles in the surface air layer and free atmosphere. The measurement data were used to retrieve the whole set of aerosol optical parameters, necessary for radiation calculations. Three measurement cycles were performed within the experiment during 2013: in spring, when the aerosol generation is maximal; in summer (July), when atmospheric boundary layer altitude and, hence, mixing layer altitude are maximal; and in late summer/early autumn, during the period of nucleation of secondary particles. Thus, independently obtained data on the optical, meteorological, and microphysical parameters of the atmosphere allow intercalibration and inter-complement of the data and thereby provide for qualitatively new information which explains the physical nature of the processes that form the vertical structure of the aerosol field.

The main aim of the work was complex experimental measurements of microphysical, chemical, and optical parameters of aerosol particles in the surface air layer and free atmosphere. From the measurement data, the entire set of aerosol optical parameters was retrieved, required for radiation calculations. Three measurement runs were carried out in 2013 within the experiment: in spring, when the aerosol generation maximum is observed, in summer (July), when the altitude of the atmospheric boundary layer is the highest, and in the late summer -early autumn, when the second nucleation period is recorded. The following instruments were used in the experiment: diffusion aerosol spectrometers (DAS), GRIMM photoelectric counters, angle-scattering nephelometers, aethalometer, SP-9/6 sun photometer,.. 318 Sun-Sky radiometer (AERONET), MS-53 pyrheliometer, MS-802 pyranometer, ASP aureole photometer, SSP scanning photometer, TU-134 Optik flying laboratory, Siberian lidar station, stationary multiwave lidar complex LOZA-M, spectrophotometric complex for measuring total ozone and NO2, multivariable instrument for measuring atmospheric parameters, METEO-2 USM, 2.4 AEHP-2.4m station for satellite data receive. Results of numerical calculations of solar down-fluxes on the Earth's surface were compared with the values measured in clear air in the summer periods in 2010-2012 in a background region of Siberian boreal zone. It was shown that the relative differences between model and experimental values of direct and total radiation do not exceed 1% and 3%, respectively, with accounting for instrumental errors and measurement error of atmospheric parameters. Thus, independent data on optical, meteorological, and microphysical atmospheric parameters allow mutual intercalibration and supplement and, hence, provide for qualitatively new data, which can explain physical nature of processes that form the vertical structure of the aerosol filed.

A unique instrumentation complex of the Institute of Atmospheric Optics SB RAS is presented. The complex has no analogues anywhere in the world, and makes possible simultaneous measurements of a great number of optical, meteorological, and radiative parameters of the atmosphere, as well as characteristics of aerosol and gas composition. The instrumentation complex is based on permanent stations recording numerous parameters of the atmosphere, namely, TOR (Tropospheric Ozone Research) station, Aerosol Monitoring Station, BEC (Basic Experimental Complex), Fonovaya (Background) Station, and stations for receiving satellite images (NOAA, MODIS/TERRA, MODIS/AQUA). An important part of the complex is the Tu-134 aircraft laboratory enabling measurement of atmospheric parameters in the altitude range up to 7 km. In addition, the following instruments are used in experiments: weather balloons, lidars, sodars, sun photometers, Fourier spectrometers, and others. Satellite data are also used for interpretation of data. The article presents an example of complex operation on one measurement day – 22 May 2012.

The evaluation and prediction of air quality in settlements requires our awareness of the main pollutant sources and their power changing with time (anthropogenic sources) or under the influence of environmental conditions (natural sources). In seaside cities, aerosol of sea origin is one of significant sources of air pollutants. Complex estimation of different atmospheric boundary layer pollutants in Gelendzhik was carried out in the first decade of July 2009. The conducted investigations showed that in the period of observations the portion of sea aerosol made up from 4 to 25% of the total aerosol. These data correlated well with similar data for the Mediterranean. It was found that pollutant concentrations in aerosol were considerably lower than the corresponding average daily maximum permissible concentrations values.

Technique of the determination of low-volatile admixtures in the atmosphere at concentrations down to 1 ng/m(3) was developed. The method is based on the absorption of molecules and their clusters by water fog obtained under sharp cooling of the atmospheric air with the vapour of liquid nitrogen. The designed and built experimental set-up was called drop concentrator. A simple and operative method of calibrating the equipment was developed. It was shown that the error of measuring vapour content using this method does not exceed 10 % within the mass concentration range from 10 to 3000 ng/m(3). Results of the tests of the set-up under laboratory and field conditions are reported. The diurnal and seasonal dynamics of the concentrations of aerosol-forming compounds in the vapour phase, their interconnection with the changes in meteorological parameters, source characteristics are considered.

Original investigations of ablation of minerals, fullerene-like compounds, polymers and complicated biological macromolecules under the action of submillimeter radiation of the free-electron laser (FEL) developed and built at Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics [V.P. Bolotin et al., First experiments on high-power Novosibirsk terahertz free-electron laser, Budker INP, 2005, p. 37 〈http://www.inp.nsk.su/publications〉[1]] were carried out at the Chemical and Biological Station of the Siberian Center for Photochemical Research. It was shown that ablation might be nondestructive.

First line of FEL with smooth tuning of irradiation wavelength 100-200 microns and 400 W power is commissioned in Siberian Center for Photochemical Research. Irradiation was used for mild ablation of DNA, enzymes, and proteins. Transfer from surface occurs without molecular destruction. Particle size was determined using aerosol diffusion spectrometer.