Abstract. The present study investigates and compares the ground and in-flight performance of three miniaturized aerosol absorption sensors integrated on board small-sized Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs). These sensors were evaluated during two contrasted field campaigns performed at an urban site, impacted mainly by local traffic and domestic wood burning sources (Athens, Greece), and at a remote regional background site, impacted by long-range transported sources including dust (Cyprus Atmospheric Observatory, Agia Marina Xyliatou, Cyprus). The miniaturized sensors were first intercompared at the ground-level against two commercially available instruments used as a reference. The measured signal of the miniaturized sensors was converted into the absorption coefficient and equivalent black carbon concentration (eBC). When applicable, signal saturation corrections were applied, following the suggestions of the manufacturers. The aerosol absorption sensors exhibited similar behavior against the reference instruments during the two campaigns, despite the diversity of the aerosol origin, chemical composition, sources, and concentration levels. The deviation from the reference during both campaigns concerning (eBC) mass was less than 8 %, while for the absorption coefficient it was at least 15 %. This indicates that those sensors that report black carbon mass are tuned and corrected to measure eBC more accurately than the absorption coefficient. The overall potential use of miniature aerosol absorption sensors on board small UASs is also illustrated. UAS-based absorption measurements were used to investigate the vertical distribution of eBC over Athens up to 1 km above sea level during January 2016, exceeding the top of the planetary boundary layer (PBL). Our results reveal a heterogeneous boundary layer concentration of absorbing aerosol within the PBL intensified in the early morning hours due to the concurrent peak traffic emissions at ground-level and the fast development of the boundary layer. After the full development of the PBL, homogenous concentrations are observed from 100 m a.g.l. to the PBL top.

<p>We present a non-Hermitian formulation of the polaritonic structure of azobenzene strongly coupled to a photonic mode that explicitly accounts for the fleeting nature of the photon-molecule interaction. This formalism reveals that the polaritonic non-adiabatic couplings that facilitate the cis-trans isomerization can be dramatically modified by the inclusion of the photonic dissipation into the polaritonic Hamiltonian. We perform Fewest-Switches Surface Hopping dynamics on the surfaces that derive from our non-Hermitian formalism and find that the polaritonic isomerization rates are strongly suppressed for moderate to large photon dissipation rates. These findings highlight the important role that the nite lifetime of photonic degrees of freedom play in polaritonic chemistry.</p>

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The Unmanned Systems Research Laboratory (USRL) of the Cyprus Institute is a new mobile exploratory platform of the EU Research Infrastructure Aerosol, Clouds and Trace Gases Research InfraStructure (ACTRIS). USRL offers exclusive Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)-sensor solutions that can be deployed anywhere in Europe and beyond, e.g., during intensive field campaigns through a transnational access scheme in compliance with the drone regulation set by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for the research, innovation, and training. UAV sensor systems play a growing role in the portfolio of Earth observation systems. They can provide cost-effective, spatial in-situ atmospheric observations which are complementary to stationary observation networks. They also have strong potential for calibrating and validating remote-sensing sensors and retrieval algorithms, mapping close-to-the-ground emission point sources and dispersion plumes, and evaluating the performance of atmospheric models. They can provide unique information relevant to the short- and long-range transport of gas and aerosol pollutants, radiative forcing, cloud properties, emission factors and a variety of atmospheric parameters. Since its establishment in 2015, USRL is participating in major international research projects dedicated to (1) the better understanding of aerosol-cloud interactions, (2) the profiling of aerosol optical properties in different atmospheric environments, (3) the vertical distribution of air pollutants in and above the planetary boundary layer, (4) the validation of Aeolus satellite dust products by utilizing novel UAV-balloon-sensor systems, and (5) the chemical characterization of ship and stack emissions. A comprehensive overview of the new UAV-sensor systems developed by USRL and their field deployments is presented here. This paper aims to illustrate the strong scientific potential of UAV-borne measurements in the atmospheric sciences and the need for their integration in Earth observation networks.

Sedimentological studies of the Cretaceous limestones in the central Ionian basin (Amfilochia, Arta as well as Kerasonas areas) indicate that these deposits are composed of calciturbidites interbedded with breccia-microbreccia deposits. In the Amfilochia new cross-section, with a NNW-SSE direction, the lower Cretaceous Vigla limestones and Vigla shales were outcropped for the first time. This section is directed parallel to the paleo Ionian basin axis and the fact of the lateral discontinuity of Vigla limestones and Vigla shales indicate that during the sedimentation of these two Formations there was a restriction along the paleo basin axis, probably due to synsedimentary transfer fault activity. Forty-two (42) samples from Vigla shales were analyzed for their content in CaCO3 and TOC, showed that these sediments present poor to fair hydrocarbon potential. In the Arta new cross-section, with a NE-SW direction, the Upper Cretaceous Senonian deposits showed strong deformation that took place during the compressional regime that affected the Ionian basin after sedimentation. This deformation appears stronger in the western part being close to a major thrust, and thus it is possible that this deformation could be responsible for the high secondary porosity of Upper Cretaceous deposits. Microfacies analysis of these deposits showed in general that deep-sea depositional environments prevailed, nevertheless in a few cases indications for the presence of environments with a shallow character imply the existence of isolated carbonate platforms close to the studied sections. In the studied sections with an E-W direction, no lateral changes were observed in the depositional conditions within the same Formation introducing standard depositional conditions across the paleo basin.