Abstract: A method for analyzing a solid specimen comprises the steps of: preparing a pulsed laser beam having a frequency of at least 100 Hz and a half width of 1 .mu.sec or less; determining a laser irradiation region; irradiating the pulsed laser beam in an inert gas stream and vaporizing a part of the solid specimen to generate fine particles; transferring said fine particles to a detector; and performing elemental analysis in the detector. An apparatus comprises: laser oscillating device including a semiconductor laser; converging device for converging a laser beam; irradiating device for irradiating the converged laser beam to generate fine particles; an analyzer for performing elemental analysis; and transfer device for transferring the fine particles to said analyzer.

Abstract: A method for detecting a cause of an abnormal portion present on a surface of a steel product, which comprises the steps of: condensing a pulsed laser beam, irradiating the pulsed laser beam thus condensed onto an abnormal portion present on a surface of a steel product and a vicinity thereof, limiting pulse energy density of the pulsed laser beam at an irradiation point of the pulsed laser beam on the surface of the steel product within a range of from 10 kW/mm.sup.2 to 100 MW/mm.sup.

Abstract: A method for analyzing steel which comprises: grinding an analysis area of a steel ingot; sealing the analysis area with a sealing section of a cell for generating fine particles; again grinding the analysis area, while an argon gas is introduced into the cell; irradiating a pulsed laser beam of 10.sup.8 W/cm.sup.2 or more onto the analysis area at an irradiating spot of at least 1 mm.sup.2 to generate the fine particles; moving the irradiating spot; and transferring the generated fine particles by the argon gas to a plasma emission analysis for analysis. A further method for analyzing steel comprises: solidifying a molten steel sample, forming a red-hot sample; putting the sample into a sample holding section of a sample chamber under a purified argon gas atmosphere, the sample holding section having an inner curved surface the same as a curved surface of the sample; irradiating a pulsed laser onto the sample to remove a sample surface layer of 25 .mu.

Abstract: A method for analyzing solid sample comprises the steps of: introducing an inert carrier gas into a cell; a preliminary treatment step of irradiating laser beam to a sample surface of the solid sample in the inert carrier gas, the laser beam having a pulse half width of 0.001 .mu.sec or more, a pulse energy density of 0.001 GW/cm.sup.2 or more, and a frequency of 100 Hz or more; generating fine particles in the inert carrier gas on a condition that a rate of fine particles generation, V (.mu.g/sec), and selection ratio, S, satisfy the following equations, the selection ratio being a retio of a concentration of a target element for analysis within the fine particles to a concentration of the target element for analysis within the solid sample;S.ltoreq.0.25 log V+1.5,S.gtoreq.-0.2 log V+0.6,0.1.ltoreq.V.ltoreq.100intoducing the generated fine particles to a detector.