Publisher's Synopsis
The invention of the laser has resulted in many technological spin–offs. One that has emerged as a field–deployable, analytical technique is laser–induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), also sometimes know as laser–induced plasma spectroscopy (LIPS) or laser spark spectroscopy (LSS). This book provides a comprehensive update of the forefront of LIBS development and applications, as well as a review and summary, for the novice, of the principles of plasma spectroscopy and analytical spectrochemistry as it applies to LIBS. Included are new data and archival material to assist experienced as well as new users. The authors have included comments on the many advantages of the method along with its limitations, to provide the reader with a balanced overview of LIBS capabilities.
- The first chapter presents a historical review of LIBS development up to 2002. Chapter 2 contains a review of the basic principles of plasma atomic emission spectroscopy and laser ablation as they relate to LIBS to provide a foundation for understanding the technique. An overview of the important elements of a LIBS apparatus is the subject of Chapter 3.
- The next three chapters, 4–6 deal with fundamental concepts in spectroscopic chemical analysis, and describe the application of LIBS to qualitative and quantitative analysis using real–world examples. Chapter 7 discusses remote LIBS measurement in field environments, a topic of intense interest.
- Chapter 8 considers the recent history of LIBS from 2003 with an emphasis on the latest trends in research and applications, including progress towards LIBS for a future Mars mission. The focus is on what a new applier of LIBS needs to know to perform state–of–the–art LIBS experiments. Chapter 9 concludes with speculations on the most promising directions for the future, topics to be explored to expand LIBS applications, and factors that will speed its commercialization.
- Comprehensive appendices contain fundamental, useful information for first–time and experienced users ranging from an overview of the essentials of basic LIBS safety considerations to archival material including published detection limits, a unique list of element detection limits using a uniform method of analysis developed for this text, and a list of major LIBS references.
Starting from fundamentals and moving through a thorough discussion of equipment, methods, and applications, the Handbook of Laser–Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy will provide a unique references source that will be of value for many years of this important new analytical technique.
