Atomic absorption coefficient of the Se 196 nm line—theoretical calculation and experimental evaluation

Abstract A procedure to calculate the atomic absorption coefficient of the Se 196 nm line for conditions corresponding to various atomizers is described. The procedure employs an exact evaluation of the overlap integral of the emission and absorption line. Computed values of the atomic absorption coefficient of the Se 196 nm line for the flame-in-tube atomizer and for the graphite furnace have been assessed by comparison with experimental data from the literature. The agreement is good for flame-in-tube atomizers where the Lorentz broadening is predicted to dominate the absorption line. For atomization in Massmann-type graphite furnaces sensitivities reported by majority of authors are significantly lower than predicted.