Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy; LIBS; long-wave infrared spectra; explosives;ARRAY DETECTION SYSTEM; ENERGETIC MATERIALS; SPECTRA; PHASE; ACID; HMX

Thin solid films made of high nitro (NO2)/nitrate (NO3) content explosives were deposited on sand-blasted aluminum substrates and then studied using a mercury-cadmium-telluride (MCT) linear array detection system that is capable of rapidly capturing a broad spectrum of atomic and molecular laser-inducedbreakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) emissions in the long-wave infrared region (LWIR; similar to 5.6-10 mm). Despite the similarities of their chemical compositions and structures, thin films of three commonly used explosives (RDX, HMX, and PETN) studied in this work can be rapidly identified in the ambient air by their molecular LIBS emission signatures in the LWIR region. A preliminary assessment of the detection limit for a thin film of RDX on aluminum appears to be much lower than 60 mg/cm(2). This LWIR LIBS setup is capable of rapidly probing and charactering samples without the need for elaborate sample preparation and also offers the possibility of a simultaneous ultraviolet visible and LWIR LIBS measurement.

QUANTITATIVE-ANALYSIS; ENERGETIC MATERIALS; EMISSIONS; LIBS; WAVE

This is the first report of a simultaneous ultraviolet/visible/NIR and longwave infrared laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (UVN + LWIR LIBS) measurement. In our attempt to study the feasibility of combining the newly developed rapid LWIR LIBS linear array detection system to existing rapid analytical techniques for a wide range of chemical analysis applications, two different solid pharmaceutical tablets, Tylenol arthritis pain and Bufferin, were studied using both a recently designed simultaneous UVN + LWIR LIBS detection system and a fast AOTF NIR (1200 to 2200 nm) spectrometer. Every simultaneous UVN + LWIR LIBS emission spectrum in this work was initiated by one single laser pulse-induced micro-plasma in the ambient air atmosphere. Distinct atomic and molecular LIBS emission signatures of the target compounds measured simultaneously in UVN (200 to 1100 nm) and LWIR (5.6 to 10 mu m) spectral regions are readily detected and identified without the need to employ complex data processing. In depth profiling studies of these two pharmaceutical tablets without any sample preparation, one can easily monitor the transition of the dominant LWIR emission signatures from coating ingredients gradually to the pharmaceutical ingredients underneath the coating. The observed LWIR LIBS emission signatures provide complementary molecular information to the UVN LIBS signatures, thus adding robustness to identification procedures. LIBS techniques are more surface specific while NIR spectroscopy has the capability to probe more bulk materials with its greater penetration depth. Both UVN + LWIR LIBS and NIR absorption spectroscopyhave shown the capabilities of acquiring useful target analyte spectral signatures in comparable short time scales. The addition of a rapid LWIR spectroscopic probe to these widely used optical analytical methods, such as NIR spectroscopy and UVN LIBS, may greatly enhance the capability and accuracy of the combined system for a comprehensive analysis. (C) 2017 Optical Society of America under the terms of the OSA Open Access Publishing Agreement

ARRAY DETECTION SYSTEM; ENERGETIC MATERIALS; SENSOR TECHNOLOGY; LIBS; SPECTRA; AIR; FEMTOSECOND; WAVELENGTHS; TIME

In this work, comparative long-wave infrared (LWIR) laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) emission studies of two excitation sources: conventional 1.064 mu m and eye-safe laser wavelength at 1.574 mu m were performed to analyze several widely-used inorganic energetic materials such as ammonium and potassium compounds as well as the organic liquid chemical warfare agent simulant, dimethyl methylphosphate (DMMP). LWIR LIBS emissions generated by both excitation sources were examined using three different detection systems: a single element liquid nitrogen cooled Mercury Cadmium Telluride (MCT) detector, an MCT linear array detection system with multi-channel preamplifiers + integrators, and an MCT linear array detection system with readout integrated circuit. It was observed that LWIR LIBS studies using an eye-safe pump laser generally reproduced atomic and molecular IR LIBS spectra as previously observed under 1.064 mu m laser excitation. (C) 2017 Optical Society of America

LIBS; Plasma; Carbon; Cluster; Infrared; Emission;INDUCED BREAKDOWN SPECTROSCOPY; LONG-WAVE; C-60; BUCKMINSTERFULLERENE; SPECTRA; C-70; LIBS

Mid infrared time-resolved emission spectra were recorded from laser-induced carbon plasma. These spectra constitute the first study of carbon materials LIB spectroscopy in the mid infrared range. The carbon plasma was induced using a Q-switched Nd: YAG laser. The laser beam was focused to high purity graphite pellets mounted on a translation stage. Mid infrared emission from the plasma in an atmospheric pressure background gas was detected by a cooled HgCdTe detector in the range 4A-11.6 mu m, using long-pass filters. LIB spectra were taken in argon, helium and also in air. Despite a gate delay of 10 its was used there were strong backgrounds in the spectra. Superimposed on this background broad and noisy emission bands were observed, the form and position of which depended somewhat on the ambient gas. The spectra were digitally smoothed and background corrected. In argon, for instance, strong bands were observed around 4.8, 6.0 and 7.5 mu m. Using atomic spectral data by NISI it could be concluded that carbon, argon, helium and nitrogen lines from neutral and ionized atoms are very weak in this spectral region. The width of the infrared bands supports molecular origin. The infrared emission bands were thus compared to vibrational features of carbon molecules (excluding C-2) of various sizes on the basis of previous carbon cluster infrared absorption and emission spectroscopic analyses in the literature and quantum chemical calculations. Some general considerations are given about the present results. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.