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Choice of X‐ray mass attenuation coefficients for PIXE analysis of silicate minerals and rocks
Author(s) -
Heirwegh Christopher M.,
Pradler Irina,
Campbell John L.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
x‐ray spectrometry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.447
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1097-4539
pISSN - 0049-8246
DOI - 10.1002/xrs.2583
Subject(s) - attenuation , silicate , analytical chemistry (journal) , mass attenuation coefficient , range (aeronautics) , attenuation coefficient , computation , mineralogy , computational physics , materials science , photon , atomic physics , chemistry , physics , optics , mathematics , composite material , algorithm , organic chemistry , chromatography
The accuracy of each of three mass attenuation coefficient databases was assessed using particle‐induced X‐ray emission measurements performed on well‐characterized, homogeneous silicate glass and mineral standards. In a fundamental parameters computation, the absolute efficiency constants of the light elements Mg, Al and Si, found within each standard, were determined. These were compared with the efficiency constants deduced from separate particle‐induced X‐ray emission measurements performed on pure targets of the same three elements. In this comparison, a 7–9% discrepancy was found when using the XCOM database for the computation, but this was reduced to 2–5% when FFAST coefficients were substituted. Further improvement was achieved when a hybrid database was adopted. This ‘Mixed’ database consisted of primarily XCOM coefficients with FFAST values inserted for the light element ( Z = 11,…, 14) attenuation of photons having energy less than their K edge and for oxygen in the 1–2 keV range. The average efficiency constant discrepancies were reduced to −0.5–2%. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.