Individual ion clouds, each produced in the
ICP from asingle drop of sample, were monitored using time-resolved mass spectrometry and optical emission spectrometry simultaneously. The widths of the ion cloudsin the plasma as a function of distance from the point ofinitial desolvated particle vaporization in the ICP wereestimated. The Li
+ cloud width (full width athalfmaximum) varied from 85 to 272
![](/images/entities/mgr.gif)
s at 3 and 10 mmfrom the apparent vaporization point, respectively.TheSr
+ cloud width varied from 97 to 142
![](/images/entities/mgr.gif)
s at 5 and10mm from the apparent vaporization point, respectively.The delays between optical and mass spectrometrysignalswere used to measure gas velocities in the ICP. Thevelocity data could then be used to convert ion cloud peakwidths in time to cloud sizes in the ICP. Li
+ cloudsvariedfrom 2.1 to 6.6 mm (full width at half-maximum) andSr
+clouds varied from 2.4 to 3.5 mm at the locationsspecified above. Diffusion coefficients wereestimatedfrom experimental data to be 88, 44, and 24 cm
2/
sforLi
+, Mg
+, and Sr
+,respectively. The flight time of ion
sfrom the sampling orifice of the mass spectrometer to thedetector were mass dependent and varied from 13 to 21
![](/images/entities/mgr.gif)
s for Mg
+ to 93 to 115
![](/images/entities/mgr.gif)
s forPb
+.