Abstract
A new technique, pseudocontinuum source atomic absorption spectroscopy, is used to map neutral atomic populations in a titanium laser-ablation plasma under helium cover. Measurements show good reproducibility and spatial resolution adequate to measure inhomogeneity in atmospherically-confined LIBS plasmas. 160 ± 20 ng of material is imaged across four terms (one ground and three metastable) of the neutral atom. This mass exceeds the crater volume, indicating substantial redeposition within the crater from pulse to pulse. At five microseconds comparison of the ground and the lowest metastable terms indicates departure from local thermodynamic equilibrium conditions. The technique shows promise for understanding the evolution of these inhomogeneous plasmas, particularly the fate of ablated material.
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