Imaging Artifacts in Continuous Scanning 2D LA-ICPMS Imaging Due to Nonsynchronization Issues.

Pulsed laser ablation (LA) devices in laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICPMS) imaging have become very advanced, delivering laser pulses with high temporal accuracy and stable energy density. However, unintentional imaging artifacts may be generated in 2D element maps when the LA repetition rate and the data acquisition parameters of ICPMS instruments with a sequential mass spectrometer (i.e., quadrupole filter or sector-field mass spectrometer) are desynchronized. This may potentially lead to interference patterns, visible as ripples in elemental images, and thus, compromised image quality. This paper describes the background of aliasing in continuous scanning mode through simulation experiments and ways to modulate the effect. The existence of this image degradation source is demonstrated experimentally via real-life imaging of a homogeneous glass standard.