X-ray energy

X-ray fluorescence A method of analysis used to identify and measure heavy elements in the presence of each other in any matrix. The sample is irradiated with a beam of primary X-rays of greater energy than the characteristic X-radiation of the elements in the sample. This results in the excitation of the heavy elements present and the emission of characteristic X-ray energies, which can be separated into individual wavelengths and measured. The technique is not suitable for use with elements of lower atomic number than calcium. 

Sandborg, M. and G. Alm-Carlsson, Influence of x-ray energy spectrum, contrasting detail and detector on the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and detective quantum efficiency (DQE) in projection radiography. Phys. Med. Biol., 1992. 37(6) p. 1245-1263. 

The sensitivity of the luminescence IP s in the systems employed here decreases with increasing x-ray energy more strongly than in the case of x-ray film. Therefore, this phenomenon must be compensated by using thicker lead front and back screens. The specific contrast c,p [1,3] is an appropriate parameter for a comparison between IP s and film, since it may be measured independently of the spatial resolution. Since the absorption coefficient p remains roughly constant for constant tube voltage and the same material, it suffices to measure and compare the scatter ratio k. Fig. 2 shows k as a function of the front and back screen thickness for the IP s for 400 keV and different wall thicknesses. The corresponding measured scatter ratios for x-ray films with 0,1 mm front and back screens of lead are likewise shown. The equivalent value for the front and back screen thicknesses is found from the intersection of the curves for the IP s and the film value. 

EXAFS Extended x-ray absorption fine structure [177, 178] Variation of x-ray absorption as a function of x-ray energy beyond an absorption edge the probability is affected by backscattering of the emitted electron from adjacent atoms Number and interatomic distance of surface atoms... 

Benchtop X-ray energy dispersive analyzer BRA-17-02 based on a gas-filled electroluminescent detector with an x-ray tube excitation and range of the elements to be determined from K (Z=19) to U (Z=92) an electroluminescent detector ensures two times better resolution compared with traditional proportional counters and possesses 20 times greater x-ray efficiency compared with semiconductor detectors. The device is used usually for grits concentration determination when analysing of aviation oils (certified analysis procedures are available) and in mining industry. 

Portable x-ray energy dispersive sulphur in oil analyser ASE-1 with measurement range 0.015 - 5% and a detection limit near 0.001%. SPARK-1-2M, BRA-17-02 and ASE-1 have been certified as measuring... 

Figure 1 Schematic of an EDS system on an electron column. The incident electron interacts with the specimen with the emission of X rays. These X rays pass through the window protecting the Si (Li) and are absorbed by the detector crystal. The X-ray energy is transferred to the Si (Li) and processed into a dig-itai signal that is displayed as a histogram of number of photons versus energy.

R. Woldseth. X-Ray Energy Spectrometry Kevex Corporation, San Carlos, 1973. A good introduction with emphasis on detectors and electronics. Most of the applications refer to X-ray tube sources. Unfortunately the book is out of print, but many industrial laboratories may have copies. 

For atoms having an atomic number greater than 10, the electron filling the inner shell vacancy may come from one of several possible subshells, each at a different energy, resulting in families of characteristic X-ray energies, e.g., the Ka, P family, the La, P, y family, etc. 

Energy Spectrometry (EDS) uses the photoelectric absorption of the X ray in a semiconductor crystal (silicon or germanium), with proportional conversion of the X-ray energy into charge through inelastic scattering of the photoelectron. The quantity of charge is measured by a sophisticated electronic circuit linked with a computer-based multichannel analyzer to collect the data. The EDS instrument is... 

A particular strength of Equation (7) is that the intensity ratio is formed between mea-surements of the same X-ray energy in both the unknown and standard. This procedure has significant advant es First, there is no need to know the spectrometer s efficiency, a value that is very difficult to calibrate absolutely, since it appears as a multiplicative factor in both terms and therefore cancels. Second, an exact knowledge of the inner shell ionization cross section or fluorescence yields is not needed, since they also cancel in the ratio. 

Figure 2 Molybdenum K-edge X-ray absorption spectrum, ln(i /i ) versus X-ray energy (eV), for molybdenum metal foil (25- jjn thick), obtained by transmission at 77 K with synchrotron radiation. The energy-dependent constructive and destructive interference of outgoing and backscattered photoelectrons at molybdenum produces the EXAFS peaks and valleys, respectively. The preedge and edge structures marked here are known together as X-ray absorption near edge structure, XANES and EXAFS are provided in a new compilation of literature entitled X-rsy Absorption Fine Structure (S.S. Hasain, ed.) Ellis Norwood, New York, 1991.

Thus, the number of peaks in the spectrum corresponds to the number of occupied energy levels in the atoms whose BEs are lower than the X-ray energy hv, the position of the peaks direcdy measures the BEs of the electrons in the orbitals and identifies the atom concerned the intensities of the peaks depend on the number of atoms present and on the a values for the orbital concerned. All these statements depend on the idea that electrons behave independently of each other. This is only an approximation. When the approximation breaks down, additional features can be created in the spectrum, owing to the involvement of some of the passive electrons (those not being photoejected). 

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