Quantitative Compositional Analyses of Calcareous Rocks for Lime Industry Using LIBS.

Here, the potential of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) in grading calcareous rocks for the lime industry was investigated. In particular, we developed a system equipped with non-intensified detectors operating in scanning mode, defined a suitable data acquisition protocol, and implemented quantitative data processing using both partial least squares regression (PLS-R) and a multilayer perceptron (MLP) neural network. Tests were carried out on 32 samples collected in various limestone quarries, which were preliminarily analyzed using traditional laboratory X-ray fluorescence (XRF); then, they were divided into two groups for calibration and validation. Particular attention was dedicated to the development of LIBS methodology providing a reliable basis for precise material grading. The congruence of the results achieved demonstrates the capability of the present approach to precisely quantify major and minor geochemical components of calcareous rocks, thus disclosing a concrete application perspective within the lime industry production chain.

High Energy Double Peak Pulse Laser Induced Plasma Spectroscopy for Metal Characterization Using a Passively Q-Switched Laser Source and CCD Detector.

Here, the development and testing of a portable double peak pulse laser induced plasma spectroscopy (DPP-LIPS) based on passively Q-switched Nd:YAG (Neodymium-doped Yttrium Aluminum Garnet) laser excitation is reported. The latter delivered structured laser pulses at a repetition rate of up to 20 Hz, including two energy peaks of about 100 mJ each with a relative temporal spacing of about 80 µs. Plasma spectra were collected using a low-cost Czerny-Turner spectrometer equipped with a non-intensified CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) array. Such a DPP-LIPS setup is technologically simpler and cheaper than the usual ones. Despite the relatively large temporal separation between the mentioned laser peaks, significant spectral intensity enhancements with respect to the usual single peak pulse configuration were observed. The amplification factor measured ranged between 2 and 10, depending on the specific emission peaks and the Q-switched configuration, and a consequent significant improvement of the detection limit of trace elements was observed. The instrument was calibrated for the quantitative analysis of copper alloy through systematic measurements carried out on reference samples and was then tested in an example archaeometric characterization of a statuette from the Egyptian Museum of Florence.

Duality relation between nonspherical mirror optical cavities and its application to gravitational-wave detectors.

In this paper, we analytically prove a unique duality relation between the eigenspectra of paraxial optical cavities with nonspherical mirrors: a one-to-one mapping between eigenmodes and eigenvalues of cavities deviating from flat mirrors by h(r) and cavities deviating from concentric mirrors by -h(r), where h need not be a small perturbation. We then illustrate its application to optical cavities, proposed for advanced interferometric gravitational-wave detectors, where the mirrors are designed to support beams with rather flat intensity profiles over the mirror surfaces. This unique mapping might be very useful in future studies of alternative optical designs for advanced gravitational wave interferometers or experiments employing optical cavities with nonstandard mirrors.