Proton-Induced X-ray Emission Spectroscopy in Elemental Trace Analysis

In English Using protons in the MeV range as excitation source and a high resolution Si(Li) detector,X-ray emission spectroscopy is shown to be capable of analyzing many elements with Z > 15 simultaneously at the 10-12 g level. This work discusses a theoretical lower limit of detection at moderate proton energies and gives examples of possible applications: analysis of the elemental composition of air-borne particles as a function of particle size, oil slick identification, and analysis of water and blood serum.