Experimental Stark widths and shifts of Nb II spectral lines

Stark widths and shifts of Nb II spectral lines have been measured by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). The experimental line profiles are obtained from spectra of the emission of laser-induced plasmas generated with samples prepared by borate fusion with small niobium concentrations, selected to minimize self-absorption. Using different time delays in the detection of the emission, electron densities ranging from 0.81 × 10 17 cm −3 to 6.7 × 10 17 cm −3 and temperatures in the interval 10,100–16,700 K are employed in each measurement. The 26 Stark widths and 22 Stark shifts determined include spectral lines from transitions between 10 multiplets and 3 configurations. To our knowledge, only two experimental data for Nb II Stark widths were available previously in the literature. • We report measurements of 26 Stark widths and 22 shifts of Nb II spectral lines. • We use laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy and fused glass sample preparation. • CSigma-LIBS allows estimating concentrations to avoid self-absorption.