Lots More Information

Related HowStuffWorks Articles

• How Lasers Work
• How Laser Weapons Work
• How Laser Printers Work
• How LASIK Works
• How CD Burners Work
• How DVDs Work
• How Holograms Work
• What is laser clot busting?
• How Sci-fi Doesn't Work
• 10 Cool Tools­
• Laser surgery

More Great Links

• Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy, U.S. Army Research Laboratory
• Introduction to Analytical Spectroscopy
• Laser Analysis Technologies
• Avantes Solutions in Spectroscopy
  
  

Sources

• Andor. "Application Note: Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS)." (Oct. 26, 2008)
  www.lot-oriel.com/site/site_down/cc_apparchaeology_deen.pdf
• Andor. "Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS)." (Oct. 26, 2008)
  http://www.andor.com/learn/applications/?docid=65
• Bradford, Traci and M. Nicole Cook. "Inductively Coupled Plasma." 1997. (Oct. 28, 2008)
  http://www.cee.vt.edu/ewr/environmental/teach/smprimer/icp/icp.html
• Faber, Sandra M. "Spectrometer." World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia. 2004.
• Greenemeier, Larry. "Deconstructing Art to Save It: Laser Analysis Tested to Restore Paintings." Scientific American News. July 9, 2008. (Oct. 26, 2008)
  http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=deconstructing-art-to-save
• Hecht, Jeff. "Optics: Light for a New Age." Charles Scribner's Sons. 1987.
• Hering, Peter, J.P. Lay and Sandra Stry. "Laser in Environmental and Life Sciences." Springer. 2004.
• Laser Analysis Technologies. "Spectrolaser: A New Solution to the Elemental Characterization of Materials." (Oct. 26, 2008)
  www.laseranalysis.com/media/Spectrolaser%204000%20brochure.pdf
• Laser Focus World. "LIBS leaves the lab for field work in industry and defense." 2001. (Nov. 5, 2008)
  http://www.laserfocusworld.com/articles/article_display.html?id=185735
• Leary, Julie A. "Mass spectrometry." World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia. 2004.
• Samek, Ota, Helmut H. Telle and David C.S. Beddows. "Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy: a tool for real-time, in vitro and in vivo identification of carious teeth." BMC Oral Health. Dec. 19, 2001.
• Sobel, Michael I. "Light." The University of Chicago Press. 1987.
• Trefil, James. "1001 Things Everyone Should Know About Science." Doubleday. 1992.
• U.S. Army Research Laboratory. "What is Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS)?" (Oct. 26, 2008)
  http://www.arl.army.mil/www/default.cfm?Action=247&Page=247