Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS)

  • How it works

    Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) is a powerful technique to determine the elemental composition of any matter, regardless of its physical state. Liquid or solid specimens as well as gas and gel samples can be analyzed rapidly with detection limits in the range of ppm to ppt, depending on the element being analyzed. No or only marginal sample preparation is needed.

    LIBS is a type of atomic emission spectroscopy that uses focused laser pulses to ablate and vaporize a small amount of the target material. Due to this process a highly-luminous plasma plume is formed. Within this hot plasma ( ~ 10 000 - 20 000 °C) the constituent elements and molecules of the ablated target material are excited and ionized.

    LIBS instrument

     

    Once the laser pulse is completed, the plasma quickly cools down as it expands outwards at supersonic speeds. During this cooling process the excited ions and atoms emit characteristic optical radiation as they revert to lower energy states. Collecting this light allows the detection and spectral analysis of this optical radiation by using a sensitive spectrograph. This can be used to yield information on the element composition of the ablated target material.

    LIBS spectra

     

    LIBS or LIPS?

    Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy is also known as Laser-Induced Plasma Spectroscopy (LIPS). This denotation is used less because its abbreviation is often associated with other things outside the field of optics.

  • The instrument

    Currently, the instrument is operated at the Institute of Optical Sensor Systems (German Aerospace Center (DLR), Berlin).

    General set-up

    The specifications are about one order better than it was required for the formerly planned Pasteur payload of the RLS (before 2009: Raman LIBS Spectrometer; thereafter: Raman Laser Spectrometer) instrument on the ExoMars Mission.
    A modular set-up allows tests of breadboard models or subcomponents if necessary for future space missions.

    Spectrometer

    • wavelength coverage: 191 - 380 nm / 279 - 900 nm (no gap)
    • spectral resolution: 14 - 96 pm (l/Dl = 14000/9400)
    • step / gate width: < 100 ns / 50 ns
    • wavelength accuracy: better than resolution/4
    • wavelength calibration: Hg spectral lamp
    • detector: ICCD (ANDOR) with 1024 x 1024 pixel
    • Nd:YAG laser pulse: 1 - 250 mJ, 6 - 8 ns (Inlite II-20)

    Sample chamber

    • simulation of planetary / Martian atmosphere with appropriate gas mixtures (Martian atmosphere: CO2 96.55%, N2 1.7%, Ar 1.6%, O2 0.15%)
    • pressure range: 10-4 to 1000 mbar
    • variable sample temperature from 140 to 300 K by liquid nitrogen cooling
    • probe on xyz-stage for alignment

  • Publications

    2013

    Weber I., Jessberger E.K., Rauschenbach I. (2013) LIBS/Raman Spectrometer: Compact LIPS Spectrometer - GENTNER Phase B:  Abschlussbericht 50QX0602, TIB.uni-hannover.de

    2012

    Pavlov, S.G., Schröder, S., Rauschenbach, I., Jessberger, E.K., Hübers, H.-W. (2012) Low-energy laser induced breakdown spectroscopy for in-situ space missions to solar system bodies without atmospheres. Planetary and Space Science, 71 (1), 57 - 63. Elsevier.

    2011

    Pavlov, S.G., Jessberger, E.K., Hübers, H.-W.,  Schröder, S., Rauschenbach, I., Florek, S., Neumann, J., Henkel, H., Klinkner, S. (2011) Miniaturized laser-induced plasma spectrometry for planetary in situ analysis - The case for Jupiter's moon Europa. Advances in Space Research (48), 764 - 778. Elsevier.

    2010

    Rauschenbach I., Jessberger E. K., Pavlov S. G. and Hübers H.-W. (2010) Miniaturized close-up Laser-induced Breakdown Spectroscopy for the in-situ analysis of the Martian surface: Calibration and Quantification, Spectrochim. Acta B 65 (8), 758 - 768.

    2009

    Rauschenbach I., Jessberger E. K., Pavlov S. G. and Hübers H.-W. (2009) Mini-LIBS for Planetary Exploration, 5th Euro-Mediterranean Symposium on Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy, O-18.

    Pavlov S. G., Schröder S., Hübers H.-W., Rauschenbach I., Huß R., Neumann J. and Jessberger E. K. (2009) Influence of the experimental geometry on LIBS efficiency for in-situ planetary measurements, 5th Euro-Mediterranean Symposium on Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy, P-16.

    Rauschenbach I., Jessberger E. K., Hübers H.-W. and Pavlov S. G. (2009) Miniaturized Laser-induced Breakdown Spectroscopy for planetary surface analysis, Lunar Planet. Sci. 40, 1563.

    Pavlov S. G., Hübers H.-W., Schröder S., Rauschenbach I. and E. K. Jessberger (2009) Analysis of planetary analogue materials by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy, European Planetary Science Congress, EPSC2009-54.

    Rauschenbach I., Jessberger E. K., Henkel H., Klinkner S., Hübers H.-W. und Pavlov S. G. (2009) Laser-induzierte Breakdown Spektroskopie für die geochemische in-situ Analytik der Mondoberfläche, Lunar Base Symposium, Kaiserslautern.

    Jessberger E. K., Rauschenbach I., Henkel H., Klinkner S., Huebers H.-W. und Pavlov S. G. (2009) A Miniaturised Laser Instrument for Planetary in-situ Analysis, International workshop - Europa lander: science goals and experiments, 39. 

    2008

    Rauschenbach I., Lazic V., Pavlov S. G., Hübers H.-W. und Jessberger E. K. (2008) Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy on soils and rocks: Influence of the sample temperature, moisture and roughness, Spectrochim. Acta B 63, 1205–1215.

    Hübers H. W., Pavlov S., Huß R., Neumann J., Rauschenbach I. und Jessberger E. K. (2008) Analysis of plasma conditions in a simulated Martian atmosphere for the ExoMars mission, 5th International Conference on Laser Induced Plasma Spectroscopy and Applications, DP15.

    Rauschenbach I., Lazic V., Pavlov S. G., Hübers H. W. und Jessberger E. K. (2008) The effects of water and ice on LIBS signals and the detection of water on Mars, European Planetary Science Congress, EPSC2008-A-00061.

    2007

    Lazic V., Rauschenbach I., Jovicevic S., Jessberger E. K., Fantoni R. und Di Fino M. (2007) Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy of soils, rocks and ice at subzero temperatures in simulated Martian conditions, Spectrochim. Acta B 62, 1546–1556.

    Lazic V., Rauschenbach I., Jovicevic S., Jessberger E. K., Fantoni R. und Di Fino M. (2007) Influence of the surface temperature on LIBS analyzes in simulated Martian conditions, Proc. of 5th International Planetary Probe Workshop, ESA SP-650.

    Rauschenbach I., Lazic V., Pavlov S., Hübers H.-W. und Jessberger E. K. (2007) LIBS on Mars: Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy of soils and rocks under simulated Martian conditions, 4th Euro-Mediterranean Symposium on Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy, P032.

    Lazic V., Rauschenbach I., Jovicevic S., Jessberger E.K. und Fantoni R. (2007) Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy of soils, rocks and ice at subzero temperatures in simulated Martian conditions, 4th Euro-Mediterranean Symposium on Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy, P031.

    Hübers H.-W., Pavlov S., Preusker R., Rauschenbach I. and Jessberger E. K. (2007) Trace element detection by Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy under simulated Martian conditions, 4th Euro-Mediterranean Symposium on Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy, P030.

    Rauschenbach I., Lazic V., Jovicevic S., Fantoni R. and Jessberger E.K. (2007) LIBS in the cold: Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy of soils, rocks and ice under simulated Martian conditions, Lunar Planet. Sci. 38, 1284. Link

    Rauschenbach I., Lazic V., Jessberger E.K. and The Gentner Team (2007) No more sniffing, but hitting: LIBS/Raman-GENTNER- for comprehensive in situ analysis of the Martian surface, Int. J. Astrob. 6, 1, 62. Link

    Rauschenbach I., Pavlov S., Lazic V., Hübers H.-W. und Jessberger E. K. (2007) Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy of soils and rocks under Martian conditions, European Mars Science and Exploration Conference: Mars Express & ExoMars, 203. Link

    Pavlov S., Hübers H.-W., Preusker R., Rauschenbach I. und Jessberger E. K. (2007) Detection of minor and trace elements by Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy under simulated Martian conditions, European Mars Science and Exploration Conference: Mars Express & ExoMars, 219. Link

    2006

    Del Bianco A., Rauschenbach I., Lazic V., Jessberger E. K. und the GENTNER Team (2006) GENTNER – a miniaturised LIBS/Raman instrument for the comprehensive in-situ analysis of the Martian surface, Proc. of 4th International Planetary Probe Workshop, 116–123. Link

    Rauschenbach I., Lazic V., Jessberger E.K. and The Gentner Team (2006) GENTNER - A miniaturised LIBS/Raman instrument for the comprehensive in situ analysis of the Martian surface, 71st Annual Meeting of the Meteoritical Society, 5224.

    Rauschenbach I., Jessberger E. K., Lazic V. and Fantoni R. (2006) Influence of the sample temperature on LIBS calibration: case of Martian analogues in simulated planetary conditions, 4th International Conference on Laser Induced Plasma Spectroscopy and Applications, Montréal, Kanada.

    Rauschenbach I., Lazic V., Jessberger E.K. und The Gentner Team (2006) GENTNER - A miniaturised LIBS/Raman instrument for the comprehensive in situ analysis of the Martian surface, European Geoscience Union General Assembly, EGU06-A-00891.Link

  • Media

  • Links

    Industry companies and Institutes

    ESA

  • Team

    • Prof. Elmar K. Jessberger
    • Prof. H. Hiesinger (IfP)
    • Dr. Iris Weber (IfP)
    • Prof. Heinz-Wilhelm Hübers (DLR)
    • Dr. Sergey Pavlov (DLR)
    • Dr. Susanne Schröder (DLR)

  • GENTNER - a miniaturized LIBS instrument for planetary analysis

    Planetary in-situ analysis is becoming one of the most important tools for exploring accessible celestial bodies. Chemical, mineralogical, structural, isotopic, and molecular information will provide stringent boundary conditions for the origin and evolution of these bodies and hence of the solar system. The past showed unprecedented examples of operating in-situ analysis instruments. Future missions, however, provide a much higher degree of mobility that calls for new types of instrumentation.

    We are developing a miniaturized Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) instrument to determine rapidly and with relatively high sensitivity (down to 10 ppm) the concentrations of many elements in planetary surface rocks, coarse fines and soil samples.

    This instrument is named GENTNER honouring the German physicist and cosmochemist Wolfgang Gentner (1906-1980). The interdisciplinary GENTNER project well fits to the truly interdisciplinary scientist W. Gentner.

    GENTNER instrument elements and accommodation           Elements of the GENTNER instrument with
    scenarios on payload facilities.                                         fibre-optic connections.

     

    The GENTNER laser system is part of the Raman/LIBS instrument on ExoMars mission

     

    ExoMars, ESA´s upcoming mission to Mars, launch date in 2018, will be the first flagship mission of the Aurora space exploration programme (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Aurora/).

    The objective of the ExoMars mission to Mars is to reveal its present state and history and to further characterize the biological environment. The Rover payload is called Pasteur and will carry a comprehensive suite of instruments dedicated to exobiology and geology. Among these a Raman-LIBS-instrument is provided in order to deliver chemical, mineralogical, structural, and molecular information on Martian rocks, fine soil and mm-sized “marbles” (coarse fines).

    The LIBS-laser system inside this Raman-LIBS instrument is a spin-off of the GENTNER project and will be built by german industry consortium.

    Artistic representation of the ExoMars Rover operating its subsurface drill.