Calculation of self-absorption coefficients of calcium resonance lines in the case of a CaCl2–water plasma

The resonance escape factors for the lines emitted by a neutral calcium atom Ca I at 4226.73 Å and of ionic calcium Ca II at 3933.66 Å and at 3968.47 Å are calculated assuming a Voigt profile and in the case of CaCl2–water plasma. The dependence of the escape factor on the optical thickness ґ0 from the line center which itself depends on the two main spectral line shape broadening mechanisms (pressure and Doppler effects) are considered. The variation of the resonance escape factors with the temperature, the CaCl2 molar proportion and the size of the plasma are also investigated. This calculation is useful for the application of Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy in the quantitative analysis of elemental composition. Its application allows us to reduce the non-linearities in the relation between resonance lines intensities of calcium in our case and its concentration.