Abstract
In order to analyze the emission spectrum of a laser-induced plasma for obtaining quantitative information on the abundance of the species present in the plasma it is necessary to study the local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) conditions in the plasma and determine the best conditions at which they are satisfied. In the present work Nd:YAG laser light pulses (λ= 1064 nm, 6 ns) of different energies (25, 50, 75 and 100 mJ) are focused using a quartz lens (focal length 10 cm) onto certified aluminum alloy samples in air under atmospheric pressure. The emitted spectra are collected and analyzed using an echelle spectrometer coupled with an intensified charge coupled device camera. The temporal history of the plasma is obtained by recording the emission features at predetermined delays and at a fixed gate width (2500 ns). For each spectrum both electron density and excitation temperature are calculated for each delay time and laser pulse energy; we found that the values of the electron density are decreasing from 1018 to 1017 cm-3. The corresponding excitation temperatures were between 30000 and 4000 K depending on the laser pulse energy and the sample used. The LTE conditions were followed up for the different delays and different energies to determine the temporal range in which they are satisfied. It has been found that in the cases of 25- and 50-mJ laser energies, the LTE conditions were satisfied in the chosen delay range (500–5000 ns). On the other hand, for higher laser energies, the LTE conditions were critical at delay times less than 1500 ns and are satisfied for longer delays.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
D. Anglos, S. Couris, C. Fotakis, Appl. Spectrosc. 51, 1025 (1997)
D. Romero, J.M. Fernandez Romero, J.J. Laserna, J. Anal. At. Spectrom. 14, 199 (1999)
Y.Y. Yoon, T.S. Kim, K.S. Chung, K.Y. Lee, G.H. Lee, Analyst 122, 1223 (1997)
G.M. Weyl, Physics of laser-induced breakdown: an update, in Laser-Induced Plasmas and Applications, ed. by L.J. Radziemski, D.A. Cremers (Marcel Dekker, New York, 1989)
R.E. Russo, Appl. Spectrosc. A 49, 14 (1995)
C. Geertsen, A. Briand, F. Chartier, J.L. Lacour, P. Mauchien, S. Sjöstrom, J.M. Mermet, Anal. At. Spectrom. 9, 17 (1994)
M.A. Shannon, X.L. Mao, A. Fernandez, W.T. Chan, R.E. Russo, Anal. Chem. 67, 4522 (1995)
M. Autin, A. Briand, P. Mauchien, J.M. Mermet, Spectrochim. Acta B 48, 851 (1993)
B.C. Castle, K. Visser, B.W. Smith, J.D. Winefordner, Appl. Spectrosc. 51, 1017 (1997)
E. Tognoni, V. Palleschi, M. Corsi, G. Cristoforetti, Spectrochim. Acta B 57, 1115 (2002)
H.R. Griem, Plasma Spectroscopy (McGraw Hill, New York, 1964)
T. Fujimoto, R.W.P. McWhirter, Phys. Rev. A 42, 6588 (1990)
M. Capitelli, F. Capitelli, A. Eletskii, Spectrochim. Acta B 55, 559 (2000)
A. De Giacomo, V.A. Shakhatov, O. De Pascale, Spectrochim. Acta B 56, 753 (2001)
G. Colonna, A. Casavola, M. Capitelli, Spectrochim. Acta B 56, 567 (2001)
Y. Iida, Spectrochim. Acta B 45, 1353 (1990)
B. Le Drogoff, J. Margot, M. Chaker, M. Sabsabi, O. Barthélemy, T.W. Johnston, S. Laville, F. Vidal, Y. von Kaenel, Spectrochim. Acta B 56, 987 (2001)
M. Milan, J.J. Laserna, Spectrochim. Acta B 56, 275 (2001)
G. De Giacomo, Spectrochim. Acta B 58, 71 (2003)
D.A. Rusak, B.C. Castle, B.W. Smith, J.D. Winefordner, Spectrochim. Acta B 52, 1929 (1997)
J. Hermann, C. Vivien, A.P. Carricato, C. Boulmer Leborgne, Appl. Surf. Sci. 129, 645 (1998)
A.K. Knight, N.L. Scherbarth, D.A. Cremers, M.J. Ferris, Appl. Spectrosc. 54, 331 (2000)
M. Sabsabi, V. Detalle, M.A. Harith, W. Tawfik, H. Imam, Appl. Opt. 42, 6094 (2003)
D. Bulajic, M. Corsi, G. Cristoforetti, S. Legnaioli, V. Palleschi, A. Salvetti, E. Tognoni, Spectrochim. Acta B 57, 339 (2002)
L.M. Cabalin, J.J. Laserna, Spectrochim. Acta B 53, 723 (1998)
D.A. Cremers, L.J. Radziemski, History and fundamentals of LIBS, in Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy, ed. by I. Schechter, V. Palleschi, A.W. Miziolek (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2006)
C. Chaleard, P. Mauchien, N. Andre, J. Uebbing, J.L. Lacour, C. Geertsen, J. Anal. At. Spectrom. 12, 183 (1997)
C. Colon, G. Hatem, E. Verdgo, P. Ruiz, J. Campos, J. Appl. Phys. 73, 4752 (1993)
G. Bekefi, C. Deutsch, B. Yaakobi, Spectroscopic diagnostics of laser plasmas, in Principles of Laser Plasmas, ed. by G. Bekefi (Wiley Interscience, New York, 1994)
J. Bengoechea, C. Aragon, J.A. Aguilera, Spectrochim. Acta B 60, 904 (2005)
H.R. Griem, Principles of Plasma Spectroscopy (Cambridge University press, Cambridge, 1997)
O. Barthélemy, J. Margot, S. Laville, F. Vidal, M. Chaker, B. Le Drogoff, T.W. Johnston, M. Sabsabi, Appl. Spectrosc. 59, 529 (2005)
E. Tognoni, V. Palleschi, M. Corsi, G. Cristoforetti, N. Omenetto, I. Gornushkin, B.W. Smith, J.D. Winefordner, From sample to signal in laser induced breakdown spectroscopy: a complex route to quantitative analysis, in Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy, ed. by I. Schechter, V. Palleschi, A.W. Miziolek (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2006)
P.W.J.M. Boumans, Excitation phenomena and temperature measurements, in Theory of Spectrochemical Excitation, ed. by P.W.J.M. Boumans (Hilger and Watts, London, 1966)
W. Lochte-Holtgreven, Evaluation of plasma parameters, in Plasma Diagnostics, ed. by W. Lochte-Holtgreven (Wiley Interscience, New York, 1968)
R.W.P. McWhirter, Spectral Intensities, in Plasma Diagnostic Techniques, ed. by R.H. Huddlestone, S.L. Leonard (Academic, New York, 1965)
A. Casavola, G. Colona, M. Capitelli, Appl. Surf. Sci. 85, 208 (2003)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
PACS
52.38.Mf
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Galmed, A., Harith, M. Temporal follow up of the LTE conditions in aluminum laser induced plasma at different laser energies. Appl. Phys. B 91, 651–660 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00340-008-2971-0
Received:
Revised:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00340-008-2971-0