High resolution analysis of soil elements with laser-induced breakdown

Patent · 06 April 2010

OSTI ID:978682

Ebinger, Michael H ^[1]; Harris, Ronny D ^[2]

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1. Santa Fe, NM
2. Los Alamos, NM

The invention is a system and method of detecting a concentration of an element in a soil sample wherein an opening or slot is formed in a container that supports a soil sample that was extracted from the ground whereupon at least a length of the soil sample is exposed via the opening. At each of a plurality of points along the exposed length thereof, the soil sample is ablated whereupon a plasma is formed that emits light characteristic of the elemental composition of the ablated soil sample. Each instance of emitted light is separated according to its wavelength and for at least one of the wavelengths a corresponding data value related to the intensity of the light is determined. As a function of each data value a concentration of an element at the corresponding point along the length of the soil core sample is determined.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): 7,692,789
• Application Number: 11/734,948
• OSTI ID: 978682
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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