12: Atomic X-Ray Spectrometry
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- 12.1: Fundamental Principles
- Before considering instrumental methods that rely on X-rays, we first review some fundamental principles of X-rays.
- 12.2: Instrument Components
- Atomic X-ray spectrometry has the same needs as other forms of optical spectroscopy: a source of X-rays, a means for isolating a desired range of wavelengths of X-rays, a means for detecting the X-rays, and a means for converting the signal at the transducer into a meaningful number. In this section we explore each of these needs.
- 12.3: Atomic X-Ray Fluorescence Methods
- In X-ray fluorescence a source of X-rays is used to excite the atoms of an analyte in a sample. These excited-state atoms return to their ground state by emitting X-rays, the process we know as fluorescence. The wavelengths of these emission lines are characteristic of the elements that make up the sample; thus, atomic X-ray fluorescence is a useful method for both a qualitative analysis and a quantitative analysis.
- 12.4: Other X-Ray Methods
- The application of X-rays to the analysis of materials can take forms other than X-ray fluorescence. In this section we briefly consider X-ray absorption and X-ray diffraction.