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Efficiency calibration of energy‐dispersive detectors for application in quantitative x‐ and γ‐ray spectrometry
Author(s) -
Szalóki I.,
Szegedi S.,
Varga K.,
Braun M.,
Osán J.,
Van Grieken R.
Publication year - 2001
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.467
Subject(s) - calibration , x ray fluorescence , nuclide , analytical chemistry (journal) , semiconductor detector , mass spectrometry , detector , materials science , x ray detector , radionuclide , chemistry , physics , optics , fluorescence , nuclear physics , chromatography , quantum mechanics
A semi‐empirical method was used in a full‐peak efficiency calculation procedure; it was based on the measurements of characteristic x‐ray lines of pure elemental and compound samples and on the application of the fundamental parameter method (FPM) for the theoretical calculation of the characteristic x‐ray intensities. Radioactive standards were applied for the efficiency calibration of different semiconductor detectors [Si(Li), Si‐PIN and HpGe]. The efficiency curves were fitted to the characteristic intensities measured by a conventional Si(Li) and two Si‐PIN detectors, using 125 I and 55 Fe radioactive sources for x‐ray excitation in a ring‐shaped geometrical arrangement. Several quantitative applications in x‐ and γ‐ray spectrometry were carried out with these calibrated detectors: (i) x‐ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis of sediment samples [Si(Li)], (ii) determination of specific activity of 137 Cs nuclide in sediment core samples originated from an oxbow area of the river Tisza, using γ‐spectroscopy (HpGe) with low‐background conditions, (iii) study of electrosorption phenomena at solid– liquid interfaces by making use of an in situ radiotracer method based on the application of low‐energy x‐ray emitting radionuclides (e.g. 65 Zn), (iv) quantitative XRF analysis of ceramic glaze and (v) electron microprobe analysis of aerosol particles using an instrument equipped with a thin‐window Si(Li) detector. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.