Resolution and energy

In practice image quality is also reduced by use of high mass resolution and energy offset. Often, therefore, mass interference cannot he avoided. Determination of element distributions is possible by use of image processing tools for classification of mappings of different masses [3.53]. 

Table 3.2 Comparison of resolution and energy range of various low-energy gamma-ray detectors...

Fig. VIII-10. (a) Intensity versus energy of scattered electron (inset shows LEED pattern) for a Rh(lll) surface covered with a monolayer of ethylidyne (CCH3), the structure of chemisorbed ethylene, (b) Auger electron spectrum, (c) High-resolution electron energy loss spectrum. [Reprinted with permission from G. A. Somoijai and B. E. Bent, Prog. Colloid Polym. ScL, 70, 38 (1985) (Ref. 6). Copyright 1985, Pergamon Press.]...

If the experunental technique has sufficient resolution, and if the molecule is fairly light, the vibronic bands discussed above will be found to have a fine structure due to transitions among rotational levels in the two states. Even when the individual rotational lines caimot be resolved, the overall shape of the vibronic band will be related to the rotational structure and its analysis may help in identifying the vibronic symmetry. The analysis of the band appearance depends on calculation of the rotational energy levels and on the selection rules and relative intensity of different rotational transitions. These both come from the fonn of the rotational wavefunctions and are treated by angnlar momentum theory. It is not possible to do more than mention a simple example here. 

As the table shows, a host of other teclmiques have contributed a dozen or fewer results each. It is seen that diffraction teclmiques have been very prominent in the field the major diffraction methods have been LEED, PD, SEXAFS, XSW, XRD, while others have contributed less, such as NEXAFS, RHEED, low-energy position diffraction (LEPD), high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS), medium-energy electron diffraction (MEED), Auger electron diffraction (AED), SEELFS, TED and atom diffraction (AD). 

Hawkins J M, Nambu M and Meyer A 1994 Resolution and configurational stability of the chiral fullerenes C-g, C g, and Cg. A limit for the activation energy of the Stone-Wales transformation J. Am. Chem. Soc. 116 7642-5... 

Once the primary electron beam is created, it must be demagnified with condenser lenses and then focused onto the sample with objective lenses. These electron lenses are electromagnetic in nature and use electric and magnetic fields to steer the electrons. Such lenses are subject to severe spherical and chromatic aberrations. Therefore, a point primary beam source is blurred into a primary beam disk to an extent dependent on the energy and energy spread of the primary electrons. In addition, these lenses are also subject to astigmatism. AH three of these effects ultimately limit the primary beam spot size and hence, the lateral resolution achievable with sem. 

Analysis of Surface Molecular Composition. Information about the molecular composition of the surface or interface may also be of interest. A variety of methods for elucidating the nature of the molecules that exist on a surface or within an interface exist. Techniques based on vibrational spectroscopy of molecules are the most common and include the electron-based method of high resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (hreels), and the optical methods of ftir and Raman spectroscopy. These tools are tremendously powerful methods of analysis because not only does a molecule possess vibrational modes which are signatures of that molecule, but the energies of molecular vibrations are extremely sensitive to the chemical environment in which a molecule is found. Thus, these methods direcdy provide information about the chemistry of the surface or interface through the vibrations of molecules contained on the surface or within the interface. 

Although energy resolution is rarely employed in positron camera systems, scatter is not normally a problem. This is because of the very short time window within which two photons must arrive in order to be counted. At low decay rates, the incidence of accidental events is very low, rising only slightly for those that occur as the result of scatter. Some systems employ time-of-flight measurements of the time difference between the arrival of the two photons to obtain additional information about the location of an annihilation along the line. This has been used to improve resolution and statistical accuracy. Resolution is in the range of 3—4 mm and is less dependent on position than is SPECT (16). 

Energy dispersive spectrometers can, in general, collect the spectmm faster and are less expensive than the more sophisticated wavelength dispersive spectrometers. However, they do not have the resolution and cannot separate closely spaced lines as easily as the wavelength dispersive spectrometers. 

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