Further Study of a Rate Model for Inductively Coupled Plasma Analyte Spectra Using a Monte Carlo Technique

Abstract

Based on Lovett's model, an attempt has been made to evaluate the effect of a number of processes possibly responsible for the analyte spectra emitted from an analytical ICP (inductively coupled plasma) with a Monte Carlo technique. The simulation results show that under conventional ICP operating conditions, absorption, stimulated emission, atom collisional ionization, atom recombination, autoionization, autoionization recombination, and dielectronic recombination made very little or no contribution to the level population. The Penning ionization process has an important effect on the ionization and excitation of Mn only at number density of metastable Ar greater than 1011/cm−3. Electron collisional processes, radiative recombination, and radiative decay are mainly responsible for Mn ionization and excitation. Using the above-mentioned key processes, together with the spatial distribution of the number density of evaporated analyte particles in the ICP obtained previously, the spatial distribution of the number density of excited or ionized Mn under different conditions is simulated. The simulation program is valid and the mechanisms evaluated are reasonable.