Laboratory of Aerosol Optics

headed by Prof. Mikhail V Panchenko

Investigations

Major task: combined investigation of the properties of tropospheric aerosol, including the study of the processes determining transformation of its temporal and spatial characteristics. To accomplish this task, works in the following fields are carried out.

• Development of methods of active spectronephelometry to study physical-chemical properties of submicron aerosol in local volumes.
• Development of methods for measuring the aerosol absorbing properties.
• Development of few-parameter models of optical characteristics of aerosol.
• Investigation of the processes of smoke formation under model conditions.
• Field studies of variations of spectral aerosol extinction coefficients in 0.44-12 mm region in atmospheric hazes and smokes along extended surface paths.
• Development of methods and facilities for passive atmospheric sensing.
• Study of properties and regularities in space-time variations of the aerosol component of atmospheric transmittance.
• Investigation into formation of fields and fluxes of incoming radiation, influence of various factors of the radiative conditions.
• Mathematical simulation of transformation of optical and microphysical properties of atmospheric aerosol and solution of inverse problems.
• Development of laser aids to navigation (ATONs) for ships and aircrafts.

Main Results

• A photometric network, in which AERONET photometer sites are combined with stations equipped with LAO photometers, has been organized at the territory of the Russian Federation from Zvenigorod to Ussuriisk in cooperation with NASA. The geography of investigations has been extended significantly from the Arctic to the Antarctic in close cooperation with institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, its Siberian and Far East branches.
• The monitoring of scattering and absorbing properties of aerosol particles is conducted in Tomsk at the LAO Aerosol Station along a surface path and in the whole atmospheric depth. The flying laboratory of the Institute of Atmospheric Optics SB RAS is used for airborne measurements. Detailed investigations of optical and microphysical characteristics of burning aerosol particles are conducted in the Big Aerosol Chamber of the Institute of Atmospheric Optics SB RAS.
• Based on many-year measurements of the mass concentration of submicron aerosol and soot in the surface air layer, it was found that the level of the relative soot content can serve as a criterion for the selection of atmospheric situations affected by smokes of remote natural fires.
• LAO has been developed a method of active spectronephelometry, which significantly extends feasibilities of experimental investigation of physical-chemical properties of atmospheric submicron particles and yields information on the particle size spectrum and refractive index at given humidity values.
• Based on many-year year-round measurements, the annual dynamics of the condensation activity of the near-surface submicron aerosol has been revealed for the first time. This dynamics is characterized by the presence of a stable spring maximum and a summer minimum.

Personnel

1. Alexandr A Antonov, engineer, E-mail: alexav@iao.ru
2. Dmitrii G Chernov, senior staff scientist, Dr., phone: +7 3822 492-848, E-mail: chernov@iao.ru
3. Tat'yana A Eremina, programmer 2nd category, E-mail: tater@iao.ru
4. Stanislav Yu. Gorda, engineer
5. Dmitrii M Kabanov, senior staff scientist, Dr., phone: +7 3822 492-848, E-mail: dkab@iao.ru
6. Darya A. Kalashnikova, engineer
7. Olga I. Khuriganova, staff scientist
8. Gennadii I. Kornienko, engineer
9. Ivan A. Kruglinsky, junior staff scientist, phone: +7 3822 492-848, E-mail: iak@iao.ru
10. Semen V. Nikolashkin, engineer
11. Viktor G Oshlakov, staff scientist, E-mail: oshlakov@iao.ru
12. Mikhail V Panchenko, main staff scientist, Prof., phone: +7 3822 492-050, E-mail: pmv@iao.ru
13. Anton O Pochufarov, engineer 2nd category, E-mail: poa216@iao.ru
14. Vasiliy V Pol'kin, staff scientist, phone: +7 3822 49-11-11 доб. - 1192, E-mail: pv@iao.ru
15. Viktor V Pol'kin, senior staff scientist, Dr., E-mail: victor@iao.ru
16. Svetlana A Popova, engineer
17. Sergei M Sakerin, main staff scientist, Prof., phone: +7 3822 492-848, E-mail: sms@iao.ru
18. Artem M Shamrin, engineer, E-mail: caldy@mail.ru
19. Nikolai N Shchelkanov, senior staff scientist, Dr., phone: +7 3822 492-933, E-mail: snn@iao.ru
20. Maxim Yu. Shikhovtsev, engineer
21. Vladimir P Shmargunov, leader electronic eng., phone: +7 3822 492-848, E-mail: vpsh@iao.ru
22. Mikhail A. Taschilin, engineer
23. Svetlana A Terpugova, senior staff scientist, Dr., phone: +7 3822 491-111 + 12-32, E-mail: swet@iao.ru
24. Anatolii V. Tikhonov, engineer
25. Yurii S Turchinovich, programmer 2nd category, phone: +7 3822 492-848, E-mail: tus@iao.ru
26. Viktor N Uzhegov, senior staff scientist, Dr., phone: +7 3822 492-933, E-mail: uzhegov@iao.ru
27. Elena P Yausheva, staff scientist, E-mail: helen@iao.ru
28. Polina N. Zenkova, staff scientist, phone: +7 3822 14-01, E-mail: zpn@iao.ru