Special Issue: Laser-Induced Incandescence

Detection of nanoparticles is an area of particular interest for the scientific community. Nanoparticles are ubiquitous, i.e. carbonaceous nanoparticles, or soot, originating from a variety of anthropogenic combustion sources and biomass burning; they greatly reduce the air quality and affect the public health. On the other side innovative materials are obtained in new industrial processes based upon flame synthesis of nanoparticles with highly specific functionalities. Several techniques are commonly used for the measurement and characterization of nanoparticles. Laser-Induced Incandescence (LII) is a diagnostic technique that offers numerous advantages. It is an optical, nonintrusive technique that gives a measure of both the concentration and the size of nanoparticles, with the possibility of 2D imaging, thus allowing for the study of the nanoparticle formation processes. Moreover, it is highly sensitive, which is relevant for environmental applications. The LII technique basically involves a fast heating of the nanoparticles by absorption of laser light on a nanosecond scale and a time-resolved detection of the induced incandescence signal. Depending on the experimental conditions many physical processes are involved that are not completely understood. This was well illustrated in the first workshop on LII held in Duisburg, Germany in 2005 and in the Special issue on Laser-Induced Incandescence of Applied Physics B in 2006. Scientists interested in the develop-