Enhanced sensitivity of oxygen detection of 3.045 MeV (α, α) elastic scattering and its applications

Solid state physics and chemistry need fast and sensitive method for the determination of oxygen content and oxidation properties. Nuclear methods can lower the limits for detecting oxygen. Some proposed earlier nuclear reactions are compared to each other. One of them, the elastic alpha scattering at the resonance peak energy of 3.045 MeV is analyzed now and is found to lower the detection limit by a factor of 17. Some examples are presented in the field of chemistry and solid state physics for the application of this reaction. Investigations of silicone oxides, native oxides, buried oxides, oxide crystals, and passivation studies are reported. Experimental problems due to the backscattering character of the proposed reaction are discussed, and some methods are developed to solve these problems. (D.Gy.)