North American Symposium on Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (NASLIBS): introduction to feature issue.

This feature issue highlights the topics of the 2011 North American Symposium on Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (NASLIBS). These include LIBS application to Security and Forensic, Biomedical and Environmental, Liquid Analysis and Fundamentals of LIBS, Instrumentation/Commercialization, Fusion with LIBS, and New Frontiers.

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy for detection of explosives residues: a review of recent advances, challenges, and future prospects.

In this review we discuss the application of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) to the problem of detection of residues of explosives. Research in this area presented in open literature is reviewed. Both laboratory and field-tested standoff LIBS instruments have been used to detect explosive materials.

Evaluation of femtosecond laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy for explosive residue detection.

Recently laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) has been investigated as a potential technique for trace explosive detection. Typically LIBS is performed using nanosecond laser pulses. For this work, we have investigated the use of femtosecond laser pulses for explosive residue detection at two different fluences.

Use of laser induced breakdown spectroscopy in the determination of gem provenance: beryls.

The provenance of gem stones has been of interest to geologists, gemologists, archeologists, and historians for centuries. Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) provides a minimally destructive tool for recording the rich chemical signatures of gem beryls (aquamarine, goshenite, heliodor, and morganite). Broadband LIBS spectra of 39 beryl (Be(3)Al(2)Si(6)O(18)) specimens from 11 pegmatite mines in New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Maine (USA) are used to assess the potential of using principal component analysis of LIBS spectra to determine specimen provenance.

Detection of indoor biological hazards using the man-portable laser induced breakdown spectrometer.

The performance of a man-portable laser induced breakdown spectrometer was evaluated for the detection of biological powders on indoor office surfaces and wipe materials. Identification of pure unknown powders was performed by comparing against a library of spectra containing biological agent surrogates and confusant materials, such as dusts, diesel soot, natural and artificial sweeteners, and drink powders, using linear correlation analysis. Simple models constructed using a second technique, partial least squares discriminant analysis, successfully identified Bacillus subtilis (BG) spores on wipe materials and office surfaces.

Multivariate analysis of standoff laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy spectra for classification of explosive-containing residues.

A technique being evaluated for standoff explosives detection is laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). LIBS is a real-time sensor technology that uses components that can be configured into a ruggedized standoff instrument. The U.

Standoff detection of chemical and biological threats using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy.

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is a promising technique for real-time chemical and biological warfare agent detection in the field. We have demonstrated the detection and discrimination of the biological warfare agent surrogates Bacillus subtilis (BG) (2% false negatives, 0% false positives) and ovalbumin (0% false negatives, 1% false positives) at 20 meters using standoff laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (ST-LIBS) and linear correlation. Unknown interferent samples (not included in the model), samples on different substrates, and mixtures of BG and Arizona road dust have been classified with reasonable success using partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA).

LIBS for landmine detection and discrimination.

The concept of utilizing laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) technology for landmine detection and discrimination has been evaluated using both laboratory LIBS and a prototype man-portable LIBS systems. LIBS spectra were collected for a suite of landmine casings, non-mine plastic materials, and "clutter-type" objects likely to be present in the soil of a conflict area or a former conflict area. Landmine casings examined included a broad selection of anti-personnel and anti-tank mines from different countries of manufacture.

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy analysis of complex silicate minerals--beryl.

Beryl (Be3Al2Si6O18) is a chemically complex and highly compositionally variable gem-forming mineral found in a variety of geologic settings worldwide. A methodology and analytical protocol were developed for the analysis of beryl by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) that minimizes the coefficient of variance for multiple analyses of the same specimen. The parameters considered were laser energy/pulse, time delay and crystallographic orientation.

Temporal evolution of the laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy spectrum of aluminum metal in different bath gases.

The spectral emission of gas-phase aluminum and aluminum oxide was measured during and immediately after exposure of a bulk-aluminum sample to a laser-induced spark produced by a focused, pulsed laser beam (Nd:YAG, 10-ns pulse duration, 35 mJ/pulse, lambda = 1064 nm). The spectral emission was measured as a function of time after the onset of the laser pulse, and it was also measured in different bath gases (air, nitrogen, oxygen, and helium).

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy of bacterial spores, molds, pollens, and protein: initial studies of discrimination potential.

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) has been used to study bacterial spores, molds, pollens, and proteins. Biosamples were prepared and deposited onto porous silver substrates. LIBS data from the individual laser shots were analyzed by principal-components analysis and were found to contain adequate information to afford discrimination among the different biomaterials.

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy analysis of energetic materials.

A number of energetic materials and explosives have been studied by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). They include black powder, neat explosives such as TNT, PETN, HMX, and RDX (in various forms), propellants such as M43 and JA2, and military explosives such as C4 and LX-14. Each of these materials gives a unique spectrum, and generally the spectra are reproducible shot to shot.

Kinetic modeling of the laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy plume from metallic lead.

We report initial results of a study aimed toward developing a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model to simulate the laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) plume for the purpose of understanding the physical and chemical factors that control the LIBS signature. The kinetic model developed for modeling studies of the LIBS plume from metallic lead includes a set of air reactions and ion chemistry as well as the oxidization, excitation, and ionization of lead atoms. At total of 38 chemical species and 220 reactions are included in the model.

Fourier-transform laser spectroscopy.

The development of microphotonic sensors based on Fourier-transform laser spectroscopy (FT-LS) is discussed. The application demonstrated is for measurement of vapors from the hydrocarbon fuels JP-8, diesel fuel, and gasoline. The two-laser prototype FT-LS sensor used for our research employs distributed-feedback lasers in the near-infrared spectral region (1.