title: Laser ablation--reflections on a very complex technique for solid sampling.
abstract: This paper is an attempt to point out the complex correlations between the experimental conditions in solid sampling by lasers. In particular, the influence of the laser properties, the surrounding gas, and the matrix on the analytical results of laser ablation techniques, such as laser induced breakdown spectrometry or laser ablation-ICP-MS, will be discussed.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Spectrochemistry and Applied Spectroscopy, Dortmund, Germany. niemax@isas-dortmund.de
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Niemax