Steady-State Approach to Excitation Mechanisms in the ICP (Inductively-Coupled Plasma)

摘要

A new approach to investigating ionization and excitation mechanisms within the inductively-coupled plasma (ICP) is described. The method involves a comparison of the spatial behavior of analyte emission intensities with the concentration product of reacting species as predicted by an assumed kinetically controlling mechanism. The limitations and uncertainties in this approach to mechanistic understanding are evaluated. In this preliminary study, the involvement of Penning and electron impact processes resulting in ionization and excitation of calcium atoms and ions has been investigated and the resulting correlations are described. From these correlations, atom excitation seems to occur through an ion electron recombination process whereas ion generation and excitation is suggested to occur by a Penning process in the outer plasma regions and excitation by electron impact within the central channel of the ICP. Keywords: Inductively coupled plasma; Elemental analysis; Excitation mechanisms; and Reprints.