A numerical procedure for understanding the self-absorption effects in laser induced breakdown spectroscopy.

Optical emission spectroscopic techniques, such as laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), require an optimal state of plasma for accurate quantitative elemental analysis. Three fundamental assumptions must be satisfied in order for analytical results to be accurate: local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE), optically thin plasma, and stoichiometric ablation. But real-life plasma often fails to satisfy these conditions, especially the optical thinness of plasma, resulting in the reabsorption of emitted radiation called self-absorption.