Integration of the PIXE and XRF spectrometries for simultaneous applications

Within this CRP two nuclear spectroscopic methods, PIXE and XRF, were integrated into a single set-up and the unification of techniques was investigated. For that purpose the vacuum chamber of the PIXE line of the IAEA experimental line at the Rudjer Boskovic Institute in Zagreb was used. A new chamber top flange was constructed, which allowed mounting of a small, low power X ray tube within the chamber. Parameters for achieving optimal signal to noise ratio of the X ray fluorescence from typical soil samples were determined for this set up. The benefits of this CRP were twofold. Firstly, by using the detection system and the positioning mechanism of the existing PIXE line, a fully operational XRF system was acquired without much further investment. This allows material characterization measurements when the ion beams from the accelerator are not available. Secondly, this integration exploits the complementarities of the two methods, and by broadening the sensitivity for low and high Z elements depending on the method used, it allows even wider elemental characterization of a sample under investigation. (author)