Micro-PIXE analysis with the proton microprobe

Proton-induced x-ray emission, or PIXE, is an ion-beam analytical technique which uses a small accelerator of the van de Graaf type. Focussing a proton beam to micron dimensions provides micro-PIXE, a powerful technique for creating element maps of microscopic and macroscopic objects, including minerals, blood cells, the human brain, etc. Four Canadian universities have proton microscopes, namely Guelph, Montreal, Queen's and Manitoba