Instrumentation
Charged particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE): applications

Ion beam analysis methods are based on the use of low-energy charged particle gas pedals. These small gas pedals produce light ions ( ¹H⁺, ²D⁺, ³He⁺, ⁴He⁺...) accelerated to energies of between 250 keV and 5 MeV. The interaction between the ions and the target to be analyzed generally takes place in a vacuum analysis chamber, although some devices allow analysis in air. The emitted X-rays are then detected and analyzed according to the principles of conventional X-ray spectrometry [109].

The typical experimental set-up for PIXE analysis (figure 1) comprises :

• a beam of ions produced by a...