LIBS for aerosol analysis

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is well suited for the analysis of aerosol particles due to the unique point sampling nature of the laser-induced plasma. The discrete plasma volume corresponds well with the discrete nature of aerosol particles to enable a wide range of data analysis options, including spectral averaging, conditional spectral processing, and single-pulse analysis. In this chapter, an introduction to aerosol science and aerosol analysis is presented to frame the overall problem of LIBS-based aerosol sampling. A detailed treatment of the laser-induced breakdown process is focused on the gas-phase processes associated with plasma initiation and propagation. Quantitative aerosol analysis is presented in terms of the aerosol-sampling problem, followed by direct and indirect quantitative aerosol measurements. The chapter concludes with a discussion of LIBS applications to aerosol analysis and future directions in this challenging and important area.