2.2  Components of a Flame Atomic Absorption/Emission Spectrometer System

2.2.3 Mirrors

Mirrors are important components of all spectrophotometers. Mirrors are used to direct radiation by reflecting it in a specific direction. Most atomic absorption units employ mirrors that reflect only UV and visible wavelength radiation. Mirrors are usually made of flat- or concave-shaped glass coated with a metal surface, usually aluminum. In some cases a plastic support can be used as the coating substrate. Metals are plated on the surface by a technique known as thin-layer vacuum coating. A variety of mirrors exist, including plane, concave, and collimating (a form of focusing). Recall from Section 1.3.1 that reflection is the interaction of radiation at the interface of two media with vastly different refractive indexes.

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