Page "Atomic absorption spectroscopy" Paragraph 14

On top of the spray chamber is a burner head that produces a flame that is laterally long ( usually 5 – 10 cm ) and only a few mm deep.

The radiation beam passes through this flame at its longest axis, and the flame gas flow-rates may be adjusted to produce the highest concentration of free atoms.

The burner height may also be adjusted, so that the radiation beam passes through the zone of highest atom cloud density in the flame, resulting in the highest sensitivity.