title: Atom confinement in a laser open atomizer.
abstract: We have investigated the effects of a buffer gas (air) on the vapor plume produced in a laser open atomizer using atomic absorption spectroscopy. The absorption signal is related to the concentration of absorbing species by a modified Beer-Lambert equation in which the buffer gas pressure and temperature and the diameter of the diffusing species appear explicitly. Our experimental results show that the observed maximum of absoprtion as a function of gas pressure is well explained by the classical gas diffusion theory. Furthermore, our measurements indicate that the plume created by the laser has a conical shape.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Gagné
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Malo
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Pianarosa