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X-Ray Flouresence
The X-Ray Flouresence (XRF) lab is designed to allow the
students to gain experience with XRF while also demonstrating its use
in nondestructive analysis. The experiment involves energy calibrtion
of the laboratory system and composition analysis of several samples.
The NEEP Lab uses high tech equipment in this lab to conduct the experiments, as pictured above. XRF analysis is accomplished by utilizing a 25-mCi gamma ray source to remove electrons from their orbits. These gamma rays are emitted from an Am-241 source in our setup, which primarily emits alpha particles but also emits gamma rays. The gamma rays excite electrons and force them to leave their orbitals, producing characteristic x-rays, which then hit the detector in our apparatus (an Amptek XR-100CR). The XR-100CR is a thermoelectrically cooled thin silicon detector. This information is fed to a computer which does data anlysis and graphical presntation of all data. The sample analysis of Americium in this lab is very similar to the uses of XRF in research and industry. The primary uses of XRF lie in studying the elemental composition of samples and thereby calculating a weight fraction for the sample based upon its composing elements. XRF is used in non-detsructive analysis of pottery and ceramics for archeologists, as well as composition analysis for geological surveys.
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NEEP Lab Course Instructor:
Yaron Danon, vist Dr.
Danon's web site |
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