Development of a Proton Induced X-Ray Emission (PIXE) Material Analysis System

Abstract

A material analysis system using particle-induced x-ray emission (PIXE) analysis has been developed to measure trace element composition in a wide range of samples. The system was constructed in the particle accelerator laboratory in the Department of Physics at East Carolina University, and includes a new high-vacuum beamline on the 2-million-volt tandem Pelletron ion accelerator, which includes a modified multi-sample target chamber. PIXE analysis can provide sensitivities to the parts-per-million level or better for many elements. In this method, a sample is irradiated with protons in the energy range of 1 - 3 MeV from the particle accelerator. Characteristic x-rays emitted from the sample are detected with an x-ray spectrometer, and the emission spectrum is fit using known spectral line energies to determine elemental composition of the sample. Capabilities of the new PIXE analysis system, including a new state-of-the-art x-ray spectrometer and multi-sample target system, will be presented, and proposed multidisciplinary applications, such as in geology, will be discussed.