The laser as an analytical probe in glow discharge mass spectrometry

A pulsed dye laser was used alone and in combination with an auxiliary glow discharge for diagnostic studies. We have compared the mass ablation rate and ion signal in high vacuum and in the presence of an ambient buffer gas. Laser pulse energy and repetition rate were studied over the analytical range of the system. The effect of ambient gas pressure on redeposition was determined for three different gases: helium, neon, and argon. The laser/auxiliary discharge system was also shown to have analytical utility for the analysis of nonconducting samples. Spectra are included to illustrate the enhancement of the laser atomization/discharge ionization scheme over laser atomization/ionization.Presented in part at the 1989 European Winter Conference on Plasma Spectrochemistry, Reutte, Austria