A Brief History of Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA–ICP–MS)

Research Article| October 01, 2016 A Brief History of Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA–ICP–MS) Paul J. Sylvester; Paul J. Sylvester 1Texas Tech University, Department of GeosciencesLubbock TX 79409-1053USAE-mail: paul.sylvester@ttu.edu Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Simon E. Jackson Simon E. Jackson 2Geological Survey of Canada, Natural Resources Canada, Inorganic Geochemistry Research LaboratoryOttawa, Ontario, K1A 0E8CanadaE-mail: simon.jackson2@canada.ca Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Paul J. Sylvester 1Texas Tech University, Department of GeosciencesLubbock TX 79409-1053USAE-mail: paul.sylvester@ttu.edu Simon E. Jackson 2Geological Survey of Canada, Natural Resources Canada, Inorganic Geochemistry Research LaboratoryOttawa, Ontario, K1A 0E8CanadaE-mail: simon.jackson2@canada.ca Publisher: Mineralogical Society of America First Online: 13 Jul 2017 Online Issn: 1811-5217 Print Issn: 1811-5209 © 2016 by the Mineralogical Society of America Elements (2016) 12 (5): 307–310. https://doi.org/10.2113/gselements.12.5.307 Article history First Online: 13 Jul 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Paul J. Sylvester, Simon E. Jackson; A Brief History of Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA–ICP–MS). Elements 2016;; 12 (5): 307–310. doi: https://doi.org/10.2113/gselements.12.5.307 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyElements Search Advanced Search Abstract Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA–ICP–MS) has been used for more than 30 years to determine the elemental composition of natural and synthesized objects. A focused laser beam ablates a small volume of target material, and the aerosol produced is transferred in a gas stream to an ICP–MS for elemental and/or isotopic analysis. Through the increasing use of deep ultraviolet lasers and ultra-sensitive mass spectrometers, the technique has evolved towards higher sampling resolution and to generating 2-D (and 3-D) images of compositional variations. The future is likely to see femtosecond lasers and simultaneous mass spectrometers in common use, making new research areas possible. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.