Charge transfer excitation processes in analytical glow discharges – A review

Charge transfer excitation processes in analytical glow discharges are important species and state selective processes that can have a considerable effect on the intensities of lines in the associated optical emission spectra and the total populations of ions in the associated mass spectra. These charge transfer excitation processes have been the subject of intense experimental and theoretical research over the past 30 years but, until now, there has been no broad review that offers a critical consideration of the challenges involved in understanding these processes, particularly from the perspectives of their role in glow discharge mass spectrometry and the additional complications arising from the presence of molecular gases. This contribution reviews the current status and the latest developments in understanding the roles of charge transfer processes in analytical glow discharges, focusing particular attention on processes recently identified in analytical glow discharges.