Development of a remote laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy system for investigation of calcified tissue samples

Peer-reviewed article not indexed in WoS or Scopus

en

The development of a remote laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) setup with an off-axis Newtonian collection optics, Galilean-based focusing telescope, and a 532nm flattop laser beam source is presented. The device was tested at a 6m distance on a slice of bone to simulate its possible use in the field, e.g., during archaeological excavations. It is shown that this setup is sufficiently sensitive to both major (P, Mg) and minor elements (Na, Zn, Sr). The measured quantities of Mg, Zn, and Sr correspond to the values obtained by reference laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICPMS) measurements within an approximately 20% range of uncertainty. A single point calibration was performed by use of a bone meal standard . The radial element distribution is almost invariable by use of LA-ICP-MS, whereas the LIBS measurement showed a strong dependence on the sample porosity. Based on these results, this remote LIBS setup with a relatively large (350mm) collecting mirror is capable of semiquantitative analysis at the level of units of mg kg-1.

OCIS codes: 300.6365, 280.1545

2010-02-03

0003-6935

Applied Optics

49

13

C16–C20

5