title: Time-resolved spectroscopy of plasmas initiated on single, levitated aerosol droplets.
abstract: Plasma spectra resulting from the irradiation of single, optically levitated glycerine droplets by an intense pulse from a Nd:YAG laser are presented. The temporal development of the plasma is studied by observing emission lines of neutral and once-ionized carbon and of once-ionized nitrogen. Stark shifts of the neutral-carbon lines are used to compute the plasma electron density. The droplet data are compared with similar data for laser-induced breakdown on a graphite surface.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Biswas
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Latifi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Radziemski
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Armstrong