This thesis describes the use of micro-impulse radar to detect laser-induced plasmas. The MIR actively interrogates the plasma to produce a reflected microwave signal from the plasma, and the device also detects the acoustic signature of the plasma. The acoustic MIR signal is similar to the signal received by a piezoelectric microphone. We show that the magnitudes of both MIR signals are proportional to the plasma intensity as well as to emission line intensities of elements in the plasma. Thus, the MIR, like the microphone signal, can be used to normalize the emission signal to compensate for variations in laser energy. Element concentration studies show that though the laser power can be compensated using the reflected or acoustic signal, they do not correct as well for variation in emission intensity as the concentration is changed. This result suggests that variations in emission like intensity are not solely due to laser power fluctuations.
","abstract_html":"<p>This thesis describes the use of micro-impulse radar to detect laser-induced plasmas. The MIR actively interrogates the plasma to produce a reflected microwave signal from the plasma, and the device also detects the acoustic signature of the plasma. The acoustic MIR signal is similar to the signal received by a piezoelectric microphone. We show that the magnitudes of both MIR signals are proportional to the plasma intensity as well as to emission line intensities of elements in the plasma. Thus, the MIR, like the microphone signal, can be used to normalize the emission signal to compensate for variations in laser energy. Element concentration studies show that though the laser power can be compensated using the reflected or acoustic signal, they do not correct as well for variation in emission intensity as the concentration is changed. This result suggests that variations in emission like intensity are not solely due to laser power fluctuations.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Copenhaver, Ardis"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"M.S.","degree_level":"Campus Access Thesis","degree_discipline":"Chemistry and Biochemistry","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Stanley M. Angel"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2010,"date_issued":"2010-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2010-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:37:08Z","subjects":["Chemistry","Physical Sciences and Mathematics","Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy","Laser-Induced Plasma","Microwave"],"languages":[],"rights":["© 2010, Ardis Copenhaver"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/162","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Stanley M. Angel"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Copenhaver, Ardis"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Chemistry and Biochemistry"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Campus Access Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["M.S."]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Chemistry","Physical Sciences and Mathematics","Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy","Laser-Induced Plasma","Microwave"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["© 2010, Ardis Copenhaver"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/162"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This thesis describes the use of micro-impulse radar to detect laser-induced plasmas. The MIR actively interrogates the plasma to produce a reflected microwave signal from the plasma, and the device also detects the acoustic signature of the plasma. The acoustic MIR signal is similar to the signal received by a piezoelectric microphone. We show that the magnitudes of both MIR signals are proportional to the plasma intensity as well as to emission line intensities of elements in the plasma. Thus, the MIR, like the microphone signal, can be used to normalize the emission signal to compensate for variations in laser energy. Element concentration studies show that though the laser power can be compensated using the reflected or acoustic signal, they do not correct as well for variation in emission intensity as the concentration is changed. This result suggests that variations in emission like intensity are not solely due to laser power fluctuations.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Microwave Beam Diagnostic of Laser-Induced Plasmas"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Stanley M. Angel"],"dc:creator":["Copenhaver, Ardis"],"dc:description.abstract":["This thesis describes the use of micro-impulse radar to detect laser-induced plasmas. The MIR actively interrogates the plasma to produce a reflected microwave signal from the plasma, and the device also detects the acoustic signature of the plasma. The acoustic MIR signal is similar to the signal received by a piezoelectric microphone. We show that the magnitudes of both MIR signals are proportional to the plasma intensity as well as to emission line intensities of elements in the plasma. Thus, the MIR, like the microphone signal, can be used to normalize the emission signal to compensate for variations in laser energy. Element concentration studies show that though the laser power can be compensated using the reflected or acoustic signal, they do not correct as well for variation in emission intensity as the concentration is changed. This result suggests that variations in emission like intensity are not solely due to laser power fluctuations.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/162"],"dc:rights":["© 2010, Ardis Copenhaver"],"dc:subject":["Chemistry","Physical Sciences and Mathematics","Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy","Laser-Induced Plasma","Microwave"],"dc:title":["Microwave Beam Diagnostic of Laser-Induced Plasmas"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Chemistry and Biochemistry"],"thesis:degree_level":["Campus Access Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["M.S."]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:37:08Z"}