ABSTRACT
Individual particle characterization is nowadays one of the more challenging aspects of microbeam analysis. This chapter is concerned with techniques that are suited for the analysis of individual environmental particles by means of characteristic physical interactions between electrons, ions or photons, and the specimen. It provides a brief overview of these techniques and their recent instrumental applications in environmental studies. Ion beams collimated to micrometer size can become a very useful tool for the study of individual particle analysis. Laser microprobe mass spectrometry is based on the mass spectrometric analysis of ions, formed by the interaction of the sample with a high power density pulsed laser beam. The proton beam with an energy from 1 to 3 MeV is finely focused in the sample by means of magnetic quadruples and/or electrostatic lenses. The high energy proton beam is obtained with cyclotrons or with nuclear electrostatic accelerators like Van de Graaffs.
