Quantum Cascade Laser Measurements of Line Intensities, N2-, O2- and Ar- Collisional Broadening Coefficients of N2O in the ν3 Band Near 4.5 µm

This study deals with precise measurements of absolute line intensities, N2-, O2- and Ar- collisional broadening coefficients of N2O in the P-branch of the ν3 vibrational band near 4.5 µm. Collisional broadening coefficients of N2O-air are derived from the N2- and O2- broadening contributions by considering an ideal atmospheric composition. Studies are performed at room temperature for 10 rotational transitions over 2190-2202 cm(-1) spectral range using a distributed-feedback quantum cascade laser. To retrieve spectroscopic parameters for each individual transition, measured absorption line shape is simulated within Voigt and Galatry profiles. The obtained results compare well with previous experimental data available in the literature: the discrepancies being less than 4% for most of the probed transitions. The spectroscopic data reported here are very useful for the design of sensors used to monitor the abundance of N2O in earth's atmosphere.

The vegetative arctic freshwater green alga Zygnema is insensitive to experimental UV exposure

The physiological performance and ultrastructural integrity of the vegetative freshwater green alga Zygnema sp., growing under ambient polar day solar radiation and after exposure to experimentally low radiation, but with high UVR:PAR ratio were investigated. In the laboratory, algae were exposed to low photosynthetic active radiation (PAR=P, 400-700 nm, 20 micromol m(-2) s(-1)), PAR + UV-A = PA (320-400 nm, 4.00 W m(-2) = UV-A) and PAR + UV-A + UV-B = PAB (280-320 nm, 0.42 W m(-2) = UV-B) for 24 h at 7 degrees C. Photosynthetic performance and ultrastructure of ambient solar radiation-exposed (field control) and experimentally treated Zygnema samples were assessed using chlorophyll fluorescence, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). No significant treatment effect was observed in the photosynthesis-irradiance curve parameters. Exclusion of the UV-B spectrum in the laboratory treatment caused significantly lower effective photosynthetic quantum yield compared to samples exposed to the whole radiation spectrum. TEM revealed no obvious differences in the ultrastructure of field control and laboratory P-, PA- and PAB-exposed samples. Substantial amounts of lipid bodies, visualized by Sudan IV staining, were observed in all samples. Chloroplasts contained numerous plastoglobules. Organelles like mitochondria, Golgi bodies and the nucleus remained unaffected by the radiation exposures. Zygnema is well adapted to ambient solar radiation, enabling the alga to cope with experimental UV exposure and it is expected to persist in a scenario with enhanced UV radiation caused by stratospheric ozone depletion.