containing microscopic holes via the use of small micron sized diameter tubes with liquid fed through at high velocities and via heated capillary tubes the first two techniques generate microscopic liquid filaments that break up to form monodisperse micron diameter droplets for a tutorial on aerosol generation using an oscillating surface containing microscopic holes see u s pat nos 6 814 071 6 782 886 6 755 189 6 629 646 6 140 804 6 540 154 6 540 153 6 467 476 6 427 682 6 085 740 6 014 970 5 938 117 5 164 740 5 758 637 5 586 550 the heated capillary tube technique vaporizes a sample with subsequent condensation due to homogeneous nucleation to form aerosol for a tutorial on submicron aerosol generation using a heated capillary tube see u s pat nos 6 701 921 6 681 769 6 681 998 6 568 390 6 557 552 6 516 796 6 501 052 6 491 233 6 234 167 and 5 743 251 in one embodiment illustrated in fig6 a detection system layout is presented that utilizes an evaporation condensation molecular sublimation or aerosol coagulation technique to provide the airborne application of optical reporter s or precursor s in this embodiment an aerosol or vapor generator 410 is used to produce vapor or aerosol optical reporter s or precursor s generated as a vapor or.