Listening to laser sparks: a link between Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy, acoustic measurements and crater morphology

• Published in: Spectrochimica acta. Part B: Atomic spectroscopy Vol. 153; pp. 50 - 60
• Main Authors: Chide, Baptiste, Maurice, Sylvestre, Murdoch, Naomi, Lasue, Jérémie, Bousquet, Bruno, Jacob, Xavier, Cousin, Agnès, Forni, Olivier, Gasnault, Olivier, Meslin, Pierre-Yves, Fronton, Jean-François, Bassas-Portús, Marti, Cadu, Alexandre, Sournac, Anthony, Mimoun, David, Wiens, Roger C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier B.V 01.03.2019; Elsevier BV; Elsevier
• Subjects: Ablated volume; Ablation; Acoustic; Acoustic coupling; Acoustic tests; Acoustics; Analytical chemistry; Analytical methods; Astrophysics; Chemical Sciences; Crater morphology; Depth profile; Energy; Engineering Sciences; Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysic; Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy; Lasers; LIBS; Mars craters; Mars Microphone; Mechanics; Microphones; Morphology; Optics; OTHER INSTRUMENTATION; Photonic; Physics; Shock-waves; Spectroscopy; Spectrum analysis; SuperCam; Terrestrial environments; Tracers; Water hardness; Shock-waves; Acoustic; Crater morphology; Depth profile; Mars Microphone; SuperCam; Ablated volume; LIBS; Shock-waves- Depth profile
• ISSN: 0584-8547; 1873-3565
• DOI: 10.1016/j.sab.2019.01.008

In preparation for the SuperCam/Mars Microphone scientific investigation, the acoustic signal associated with the plasma formation during Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) experiment is studied with regard to the shot-to-shot evolution of the laser induced crater morphology and plasma emission lines. A set of geological targets are depth profiled using a specifically designed LIBS setup coupled with acoustic test bench under ambient terrestrial atmosphere. Experiments confirm that the decrease of the acoustic energy as a function of the number of shots is well correlated with the target hardness/density and also demonstrate that the acoustic energy can be used as a remote tracer of the ablated volume of the target. Listening to LIBS sparks provides a new information relative to the ablation process that is independent from the LIBS spectrum. [Display omitted] •The shot-to-shot LIBS acoustic signal decrease is lower as the target is denser.•Acoustic energy can be used as a remote tracer of the ablated volume.•Acoustics give information about the ablation that is independent from LIBS spectra.