U.S. flag
      An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.
        Here's how you know
      Here's how you know**Official websites use .gov**
            
            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
      **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
            
            A **lock** (
            A locked padlock
            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Menu

      
        close

            
            
                                              About NIJ
        
                    
  
          About NIJ
      
    
          The NIJ Director
          How NIJ Is Organized
          Mission and Guiding Principles
          Research and Development Process
          Strategic Framework
          Assessments of NIJ
          Annual Reports & Reports to Congress
          Staff Directory
          Funding & Awards
        
                    
  
          Funding & Awards
      
    
          Current Funding
          Forthcoming Funding
          Expired Funding
          Awards: Listing of Funded Projects
          Guidance for Applicants and Awardees
          Fellowship & Student Programs
          Travel Scholarships
          NIJ Challenge Program
          Library & Multimedia
        
                    
  
          Library & Multimedia
      
    
          NIJ Journal
          Podcasts
          Publications Listing
          Multimedia Listing
          Rated Practices on CrimeSolutions
          Rated Programs on CrimeSolutions
          Software & Databases
          Datasets
          Patents
          Topics
        
                    
  
          Topics
      
    
          Article Listing
          Corrections
          Courts
          Crime Prevention
          Crimes
          Drugs and Crime
          Equipment and Technology
          Forensic Sciences
          Youth Justice
          Justice System Reform
          Law Enforcement
          Tribal Crime and Justice
          Victims of Crime
          Events
        
                    
  
          Events
      
    
          NIJ 2024 Research Conference
          Scheduled Events
          On-Demand Events
          Research Meetings & Workshops
          NIJ-Hosted Online Training

                            
                                About
          Contact Us
          Subscribe
          Topics A-Z
                  Share
FacebookXLinkedInRedditPinterestEmail Home
                            Funding & Awards
 Level of confidence in elemental analysis by LIBS
Award Information
Awardee
              University of Central Florida
Award #
              2012-DN-BX-K027
Funding Category
              Competitive
Location
                    Orlando, FL
Awardee County
              Orange
Congressional District
              7
Status
              Closed
Funding First Awarded
              2012
Total funding (to date)
              $399,532
Original Solicitation
              NIJ FY 12 Basic Scientific Research to Support Forensic Science for Criminal Justice Purposes
Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2012, $399,532)
Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy has become a very attractive spectroscopic technique for elemental analysis of forensic evidence. Its potential to provide fast conclusions on a large set of samples has been shown over the past ten years. Nevertheless, its use in a court is not commonly accepted. Despite the scientific foundation and recognition of the technique by the scientific community, the main reasons are that there are no operation standards in LIBS, neither are there known error rates. When the elemental information is needed from the LIBS spectrum, identification of elemental emission relies on the assignment of spectral lines based on wavelength tables. But these tables have been established by arc excitation that doesnt reproduce the excitation conditions of LIBS that add dynamic shift and broadening to the spectral line. Furthermore, the low spectral resolution of LIBS systems makes it possible that spectral interferences occur for the majority of the lines. Such interference makes the elemental profile uncertain. The goal of this proposal is to quantify the level of confidence in an elemental analysis by LIBS.  This project will fulfill this goal in three steps: (i) The creation of the parameter representing the level of confidence. A LIBS spectrum can be considered as a distributed sequence of weighing distributions (the emission peaks with their own profile) over a discrete list of wavelength-ordered emitters. The statistical weight for each emitter line in the list is not equivalent and depends on the emission probability of the transition, the prior knowledge of the sample elemental composition, the temperature of the LIBS plasma. The quality of the spectra and the amount of spectral lines available for decision is also crucial in the confidence for assignment of lines. This fundamental design of the level of confidence is the crucial first step of this project. (ii) The experimental measurement of the level of confidence. Depending on the laser conditions, excitation conditions, detection and analysis conditions, the LIBS spectrum changes and as a consequence the level of confidence of the deduced elemental profile. This essential and extensive parametric study of the level of confidence for the forensic community will provide unique insights in the confidence they can have in LIBS systems for sample analysis. (iii) The confirmation of the procedure by blind testing. This blind test will be designed for confirming the validity of the basic method for future applications of LIBS with commercial systems. The blind testing and the random re-analysis will be managed by our team and will provide a complete final report of the evaluation of the level of confidence in elemental analysis by LIBS. This project will be conducted by Dr. Matthieu Baudelet and sponsor a student in the Townes Laser Institute (College of Optics and Photonics, UCF). The experience of the PI in LIBS and especially its use for quantitative analysis reinsures the scientific feasibility of the proposed project. This project will provide forensic experts with a complete quantitative evaluation of the input data either they just need to provide a qualitative list of elements present in a sample or they need to establish a comparison between samples. This analysis could become a standard for forensic use of LIBS and its use could be optimized by the spectrochemical industry for specific LIBS system design and even lower the price of the LIBS system, what will make the introduction of LIBS easier in forensic laboratories. ca/ncf



  
Grant-Funded Publications
        
                      Level of Confidence in Elemental Analysis by LIBS
                  Statistical Evaluation of Sectral Interferences in Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy

  
Date Created: August 22, 2012
    
          Side navigation
  

        

  
  
              Current Funding
    
      
            
            
            
      Forthcoming Funding
    
      
            
            
            
      Expired Funding
    
      
            
            
            
      Awards: Listing of Funded Projects
    
      
            
            
            
      Guidance for Applicants and Awardees
    
      
            
            
            
      Fellowship & Student Programs
    
      
            
            
            
      Travel Scholarships
    
      
            
            
            
      NIJ Challenge ProgramSimilar Awards
        
                      911, What's Your Emergency?: Factors Impacting Call Coding
                  Quantitative Assessment of Fracture Characteristics in Blunt Force Skeletal Trauma for Forensic Interpretations
                  An Examination of the Law Enforcement Role in Implementing Extreme Risk Protection Orders
 Top

      National Institute of Justice

        
        
                        About NIJ
                    About NIJ
      
    
                  How NIJ Is Organized
      
    
                  NIJ Director
      
    
                  Research Disclaimer
      
    
                  Funding & Awards
                    Funding & Awards Home
      
    
                  Awards Listing
      
    
                  Current Funding
      
    
                  Guidance for Applicants and Awardees
      
    
                  Resources
                    Events
      
    
                  Podcasts
      
    
                  Publications
      
    
                  Topics
      
    
                  Multimedia
      
    
                  Reuse Policy
      
    
                  Contacts
                    Contact NIJ
      
    
                  Staff Directory
      
    
                  Submit a FOIA Request
      
    
                  File a Civil Rights ComplaintFacebook
          
                      X
          
                      YouTube
  

      810 7th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20531
      
              Secondary Footer link menu
            Accessibility
              Plain Language
              Privacy Policy
              Legal Policies and Disclaimer
              No FEAR Act
              Freedom of Information Act
              USA.gov
              Justice.gov