ISOTOPIC CHEMICAL ANALYSIS USING OPTICAL MOLECULAR SPECTRA FROM LASER ABLATION

摘要

The present invention provides a method of performing isotopic analysis of at least one sample of condensed matter. In an exemplary embodiment, the method includes (1) applying laser energy to the sample of condensed matter in ambient air under ambient pressure with a laser, thereby generating the gas phase of the sample and (2) measuring at least one molecular spectrum of at least one isotopomeric molecular species in the gas phase of the sample in ambient air under ambient pressure with a measuring device. In a further embodiment, the present invention further includes quantifying the abundance of at least one isotope in the sample.