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Quantitative binomial distribution analyses of nanoscale like‐solute atom clustering and segregation in atom probe tomography data
Author(s) -
Moody Michael P.,
Stephenson Leigh T.,
Ceguerra Anna V.,
Ringer Simon P.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
microscopy research and technique
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.536
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1097-0029
pISSN - 1059-910X
DOI - 10.1002/jemt.20582
Subject(s) - atom probe , binomial distribution , cluster analysis , negative binomial distribution , statistical physics , binomial (polynomial) , atom (system on chip) , sample (material) , detector , statistics , computer science , physics , materials science , mathematics , thermodynamics , alloy , optics , poisson distribution , composite material , embedded system
The applicability of the binomial frequency distribution is outlined for the analysis of the evolution nanoscale atomic clustering of dilute solute in an alloy subject to thermal ageing in 3D atom probe data. The conventional χ 2 statistics and significance testing are demonstrated to be inappropriate for comparison of quantity of solute segregation present in two or more different sized system. Pearson coefficient, μ, is shown to normalize χ 2 with respect to sample size over an order of magnitude. A simple computer simulation is implemented to investigate the binomial analysis and infer meaning in the measured value of μ over a series of systems at different solute concentrations and degree of clustering. The simulations replicate the form of experimental data and demonstrate the effect of detector efficiency to significantly underestimate the measured segregation. The binomial analysis is applied to experimental atom probe data sets and complementary simulations are used to interpret the results. Microsc. Res. Tech., 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.