Development of a Reference Database for Particle-Induced Gamma-ray Emission spectroscopy

Abstract

a b s t r a c tParticle-Induced Gamma-ray Emission (PIGE) is a powerful analytical technique that exploits the interactions of rapid charged particles with nuclei located near a sample surface to determine the composition and structure of the surface regions of solids by measurement of characteristic prompt c rays. The potential for depth profiling of this technique has long been recognized, however, the implementation has been limited owing to insufficient knowledge of the physical data and lack of suitable user-friendly computer codes for the applications. Although a considerable body of published data exists in the nuclear physics literature for nuclear reaction cross sections with c rays in the exit channel, there is no up-to-date, comprehensive compilation specifically dedicated to IBA applications. A number of PIGE cross-section data had already been uploaded to the Ion Beam Analysis Nuclear Data Library (IBANDL) (http://www-nds. iaea.org/ibandl) by members of the IBA community by 2011, however a preliminary survey of this body of unevaluated experimental data has revealed numerous discrepancies beyond the uncertainty limits reported by the authors. Using the resources and coordination provided by the IAEA, a concerted effort to improve the situation was made within the Coordinated Research Project on the Development of a Reference Database for PIGE spectroscopy, from 2011 to 2015. The aim of the CRP was to create a data library for Ion Beam Analysis that contains reliable and usable data on charged particle c-ray emission cross sections that would be made freely available to the user community. As the CRP has reached its completion, we shall present its main achievements, including the results of nuclear cross-section evaluations and the development of a computer code that will become available to the public allowing for the implementation of a standardless PIGE technique.

Nuclear data for ion beam analysis applications

“…The main goal of the CRP on PIGE (2011-2015) [2,3] was to create a data library for IBA that contains reliable and usable data on charged-particle gamma-ray cross sections that will be made freely available to the user community. To achieve this goal, the most important nuclear reactions for the PIGE technique were identified, followed by a thorough search in the literature and other electronic databases (EXFOR [5], NACRE [6]) for relevant data.…”

“…Through a series of Coordinated Research Projects (CRP) [1,2], collaborations with expert scientists and staff efforts, the Ion Beam Analysis Data Library (IBANDL) [3] that contains over 3000 datasets of differential and total cross sections in the low energy region below several MeV was created and disseminated.…”

“…The most recent CRP on Particle-Induced Gammaray Emission spectroscopy (PIGE) [2,4] from 2011 to 2015 has resulted in augmenting the data library by over 300 new datasets of gamma-ray production cross sections needed in the implementation of the PIGE technique in bulk analysis and depth profiling.…”

Measurement of proton induced absolute production cross-section of 6.13, 6.92 and 7.12 MeV γ-rays from 16O(p,p ′γ )16O reaction

“…Connection with the fundamental problem of nuclear physics and the capability to provide vital inputs to complicated reaction theories make NA scattering a vibrant area of research. Moreover, the knowledge of γ-ray cross-sections is necessary for γ-ray astronomy, radiation safety and applications in material analysis techniques like PIGE [3,4].…”

Measurement of gamma-ray production cross sections for nuclear reaction 31P(p,pγ1-0)31P

“…Since the last few years an effort has been made to develop a standard free method based on calculating codes as ERYA [5,6] which integrate the excitation functions in order to obtain the corresponding gamma-ray yields. This effort included the measurement of important cross sections [7,8,9,10] and, concerted by the International Atomic Energy Agency [11], additional measurements and compilation of the data, new and existent in the literature, were produced, being the data available in IBANDL [12].…”