The rare earth elements as candidates for isotope selective graphite furnace applications

The applicability of isotope selective diode laser graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry to the rare earth elements is discussed. Useful transitions exist for the elements Sm, Eu, Gd, Er and Lu. Doppler-limited and Doppler-free experimental spectra are presented. Values of the characteristic masses and the limits of detection are given for the following isotopes and wavelengths of absorption lines, respectively: 154Sm at 672.6 nm, 151Eu and 153Eu at 686.5 nm, 170Er at 658.4 nm and at 841.0 nm. For these lines also the coefficients of collisional broadening by argon are determined.