Publisher's Note: "Measurements of impurity ion temperature and velocity distributions via active charge-exchange...

Atomization, converting samples into gas-phase atoms and ions, is essential for atomic spectroscopy. The flame temperature required for atomization affects the efficiency of the atomic spectroscopic methods by increasing the atomization efficiency and the relative population of the excited and ground states.
At thermal equilibrium, the relative populations of excited and ground state atoms can be estimated using the Maxwell–Boltzmann distribution. For example, an increase in temperature from...

An atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS) comprises several components: a radiation source, an atomizer, a monochromator, and a detector. The radiation source can be a hollow-cathode lamp (HCL) or an electrodeless-discharge lamp (EDL), both of which provide a narrow emission line of the required wavelength. However, some instruments use continuum sources and high-resolution monochromators to achieve a narrow range of radiation.
The atomizer used in AAS can be either a flame atomizer or an...

Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) atomizes samples through flame atomization or electrothermal atomization. Flame atomization typically involves a nebulizer and spray chamber assembly to combine the sample with a fuel–oxidant mixture, creating a fine aerosol mist that enters a burner. Typically, the fuel and oxidant are combined in an approximately stoichiometric ratio. However, for atoms that are easily oxidized, a fuel-rich mixture may be more advantageous. Only about 5% of the aerosol...

Interference leads to systematic error in atomic absorption (AA) measurements by enhancing or diminishing the analytical signal or the background. These interferences can be grouped into three main categories: spectral interference, chemical interference, and physical interference.
Spectral interference occurs when signals from other elements or molecules overlap with the analyte signal, falsely elevating or masking the analyte's absorbance. This interference can be corrected using Zeeman,...

In atomic emission spectroscopy (AES), high-temperature atomizers excite a broad range of elements and molecules that generate complex emissions from sources such as oxides, hydroxides, and flame combustion products in the flame or plasma. Several strategies can be employed to minimize spectral interferences caused by overlapping emission lines or bands. These include increasing instrument resolution, choosing alternative emission lines, optimally placing the detector in low-background regions,...

Inductively coupled plasma (ICP) is the common plasma source used in atomic emission spectroscopy (AES), a technique that detects and analyzes various elements in a sample. This method is often called inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES).
There are three main types of inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy  (ICP-AES) instruments: sequential, simultaneous multichannel, and Fourier transform instruments, with the latter being less commonly used.