laser-induced; plasma emission; molecular spectra;INDUCED-BREAKDOWN-SPECTROSCOPY; LOCAL THERMAL-EQUILIBRIUM; GAS-PHASE REACTIONS; ELEMENTAL ANALYSIS; ISOTOPIC SPECTROMETRY; SELF-ABSORPTION; INDUCED FLUORESCENCE; TITANIUM MONOXIDE; ABLATION PLUMES; FEMTOSECOND

The aim of this paper is the description of the optical emission spectral features of the plasma produced by laser-matter interaction, from a fundamental point of view. The laser induced plasma emission spectra are discussed in connection with the basic mechanisms that take place in the plasma phase at different time delays from the laser pulse. The laser induced plasma being a dynamic system, the hierarchy of the elementary mechanisms changes continuously because the electron number density and the electron temperature decrease during the expansion. As a consequence of this, over the duration of the plasma's persistence the prevailing emitting species changes from ions to atoms and from atoms to molecules. Both atomic and molecular emission spectroscopy are discussed, to convey a complete description of the temporal evolution of laser induced plasma. Current literature, as well as the traditional plasma theories, are presented and discussed in order to give to the reader a general idea of the potentialities and drawbacks of emission spectroscopy in the study of laser induced plasma and its various applications.

laser ablation in liquid; silver NPs; laser induced plasma; shockwave; bubble dynamics; water jet; thin water layer; bubble near a free surface;FREE-SURFACE; CAVITATION BUBBLES; LIQUID-JET; WAVE; NANOPARTICLES; COLLAPSE; GENERATION; BREAKDOWN; EROSION; YIELD

In this paper, emission spectroscopy and fast imaging surveys during pulsed laser ablation in liquid (PLAL) for nanoparticles (NPs) production have been used, in order to provide further details about the process involved and the potentialities offered by a wire-shaped sample ablated in a flowing water jet. This kind of set-up has been explored because the laser ablation efficiency in water increases when a thin water layer and a wire-shaped target are used. In order to understand the physical processes causing the increasing ablation efficiency, both the laser-induced plasma and bubble dynamics generated in a flowing liquid jet have been analysed. The plasma parameters and the bubble behaviour in such a system have been compared with those observed in conventional PLAL experiments, where either a bulk or a wire-shaped target is immersed in bulk water. From the data presented here it is evidenced that the plasma and shockwave induced during the breakdown process can play a direct role in the ablation efficiency variation observed. With regard to the cavitation bubbles evolving near a free surface (the interface between water and air) it should be noted that these have to be treated with caution as a consequence of the strong influence played in these circumstances by the boundary of the water jet during its expansion dynamics. The effects due to the size of the liquid layer, the presence of the water/air interface, the liquid characteristics, the target shape, the plasma evolution and the bubble dynamics together with their outcomes on the NPs' production, are presented and discussed.

laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy; ageing layer depth; silicone polymer surface;SPECTROMETRY; LIBS

Silicone rubber composite materials have been widely used in high voltage transmission lines for anti-pollution flashover. The aging surface of silicone rubber materials decreases service properties, causing loss of the anti-pollution ability. In this paper, as an analysis method requiring no sample preparation that is able to be conducted on site and suitable for nearly all types of materials, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) was used for the analysis of newly prepared and aging (out of service) silicone rubber composites. With scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and hydrophobicity test, LIBS was proven to be nearly non-destructive for silicone rubber. Under the same LIBS testing parameters, a linear relationship was observed between ablation depth and laserpulses number. With the emission spectra, all types of elements and their distribution in samples along the depth direction from the surface to the inner part were acquired and verified with EDS results. This research showed that LIBS was suitable to detect the aging layer depth and element distribution of the silicone rubber surface.

laser produced plasma; spatial confinement; laser induced breakdown spectroscopy;PLASMA FORMATION; CENTRAL SCHEMES; ABLATION; PARTICLES; PULSES; LIBS

The spatial confinement of plasma produced by a nanosecond laser is investigated using time resolved spectroscopy, fast imaging, interferometry, and numerical computation. The dynamics of the plasma, depending on shock waves, laser power, and wall distances, are studied. Experimental results confirm that the plasma is constricted by the reflected shock associated with a temperature and density gradient. The peak laser power determines the initial plasma parameters which affect the spectral intensities and the velocity of the reflective shock waves. The wall distance determines the reflection time of the shocks, which in turn influences the time delay of the collision between the two reflective shocks. The numerical results reveal a fast propagation process surrounding the reflective shocks, which indicates that the velocity of the reflective shock wave is influenced by the density of the plasma. The maximum enhancement factor similar to 5.2 is realized at a delay time of 11.7 mu s under a pulse laser energy of 180 mJ and a wall distance of 9 mm.