Extracting time-resolved information from time-integrated laser-induced breakdown spectra

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) data are characterized by a strong dependence on the acquisition time after the onset of the laser plasma. However, time-resolved broadband spectrometers are expensive and often not suitable for being used in portable LIBS instruments. In this paper we will show how the analysis of a series of LIBS spectra, taken at different delays after the laser pulse, allows the recovery of time-resolved spectral information. The comparison of such spectra is presented for the analysis of an aluminium alloy. The plasma parameters (electron temperature and number density) are evaluated, starting from the time-integrated and time-resolved spectra, respectively. The results are compared and discussed.