Laser-induced plasma spectroscopy of hydrogen Balmer series in laboratory air.

Stark-broadened emission profiles for the hydrogen alpha and beta Balmer series lines in plasma are measured to characterize electron density and temperature. Plasma is generated using a typical laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) arrangement that employs a focused Q-switched neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd : YAG) laser, operating at the fundamental wavelength of 1064 nm. The temporal evolution of the hydrogen Balmer series lines is explored using LIBS. Spectra from the plasma are measured following laser-induced optical breakdown in laboratory air. The electron density is primarily inferred from the Stark-broadened experimental data collected at various time delays. Due to the presence of nitrogen and oxygen in air, the hydrogen alpha and beta lines become clearly discernible from background radiation for time delays of 0.4 and 1.4 μs, respectively.