An accurate determination of the K‐shell X‐ray fluorescence yield of silicon

Abstract

A measurement of the K‐shell fluorescence yield of silicon is undertaken in which identified sources of systematic errors in previous measurements are reduced or eliminated. This enables a stringent test of the only two sets of theoretical predictions available for atomic numbers less than 18. Our result ωK = 0.0495 ± 0.0015 is very slightly lower than the non‐relativistic Hartree‐Fock‐Slater (HFS) prediction of 0.0514. This stringent test of the HFS predictions helps to refine the fundamental parameter database of the X‐ray fluorescence analysis technique, whose importance for light elements is increasing. Our work indicates the need for new theoretical calculations of K‐shell fluorescence yields for these elements. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Role of the mass attenuation coefficient database in standardization of a silicon drift X‐ray detector for PIXE analysis

“…As would be expected, there are discrepancies with both treatments in the EXAFS region just above that edge. Below the K edge, very detailed measurements for silicon show much better agreement with FFAST; these silicon data were measured by M. Krumrey and F. Scholze and kindly provided to us by private communication for inclusion in Hopman et al A very different PIXE‐based approach in our own laboratory gave results for magnesium, aluminum, and silicon that were consistent with the Krumrey and Scholze silicon conclusion. A 3‐MeV proton beam was used to excite the K X‐rays of these elements in both elemental and oxide forms, and the element/oxide peak area ratios were measured .…”

Approaches for theoretical and experimental determinations ofK-shell decay rates and fluorescence yields in Ge

“…5. In this case, the relative standard deviation is larger (about 2.5% for the partial values, instead of 1.4% in the reflection mode), and the total Kshell fluorescence yield is found to be ω K = 0.552 (13). Both series of results are fully consistent, and the final experimental value is obtained as the weighted mean, which gives ω K = 0.553 (13).…”

“…In this case, the relative standard deviation is larger (about 2.5% for the partial values, instead of 1.4% in the reflection mode), and the total Kshell fluorescence yield is found to be ω K = 0.552 (13). Both series of results are fully consistent, and the final experimental value is obtained as the weighted mean, which gives ω K = 0.553 (13). Table IV reports the the K-shell fluorescence yield values for Ge (experimental and theoretical) obtained in this work, together with the experimental, theoretical, and semi-empirical values obtained by other authors.…”

“…(2) Without any target, using only the escape peaks of a high purity germanium (HPGe) detector, evaluating the escape-peak to parent-peak intensity ratio which directly depends on the fluorescence yield [13,19,42].…”

“…In the last decade there was an increase of high precision measurements of K-shell fluorescence yields [11][12][13] and a few calculations [14,15] for several elements such as K, Ca, Zn, Cd, and Hg. Despite these efforts, the available experimental and theoretical fluorescence yield data for some elements are scarce or were obtained several decades ago, calling for further efforts to update values with high precision measurements and state-of-the-art calculations.…”