title: Fiber-optic spark delivery for gas-phase laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy.
abstract: This article reports what are to the authors' knowledge the first gas-phase laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) measurements using a fiber-optically delivered spark. A silver- and polymer-coated hollow fiber delivered high-energy nanosecond 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser pulses, which were focused to generate high-energy-density plasmas in ultra-lean methane-air mixtures. Emissions from these plasmas were collected and spectroscopically analyzed to quantify relative fuel-to-air ratio. These measurements were compared with others made using traditional LIBS techniques without the fiber-optically delivered spark. Similar results were obtained, but with larger shot-to-shot variability, for the case of the fiber-optically delivered spark.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35487-0286, USA.
authors.forename: Cosmin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dumitrescu
authors.forename: Paulius
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Puzinauskas
authors.forename: Semih
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Olcmen
authors.forename: Steven G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Buckley
authors.forename: Sachin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Joshi
authors.forename: Azer P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Yalin