Resolving studies of Balmer alpha lines relevant to the LIBS analysis of hydrogen isotope retention

Abstract

Utilizing Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) for detecting deuterium and tritium retention in fusion devices poses a significant challenge due to the experimental limitations in resolving hydrogen isotope Balmer alpha lines (Hα, Dα, and Tα). This study utilizes the Rayleigh criterion to distinguish Tα and Dα lines by determining the maximum line widths and corresponding plasma parameters. Experimental validation was performed through LIBS analysis of heavy water-doped graphite/silica gel targets in both argon and helium atmospheres to assess the predicted plasma parameters and line profile shapes. The optimization of laser pulse energy, gas pressure, delay, and gate times aimed at achieving fully resolved lines based on the intensity, width, and the dip between deuterium and hydrogen Balmer alpha lines. By fine-tuning these experimental parameters, the study successfully achieved a dip of less than 10 % between the Hα and Dα lines with a satisfactory signal-to-noise ratio, demonstrating the feasibility of fully resolving the Tα and Dα lines. These findings underscore the potential of LIBS in enhancing the detection of deuterium and tritium retention in fusion devices.