Application of a charge-division, position-sensitive proportional counter to high-resolution PIXE measurements

A charge-division, position-sensitive proportional counter with a carbon-fiber anode and its associated signal processor has been developed. This counter is very small in volume with a simple structure and vacuum proof. The spatial resolution of 0.36 mm was achieved under a gas pressure of 1.7x105 Pa. A correlation factor between the position and the channel number was measured to be 0.97, indicating good linearity of the system. The detector was combined with a crystal spectrometer in order to measure spectra of particle-induced characteristic X rays. Energy resolutions measured at Si Kα (1.74 keV) and Fe Kα (6.4 keV) X rays are 4 and 34 eV, respectively. (author)