A high-temperature cell with a double wall design has been constructed for X-ray absorption spectrometry of metal vapors. The inner cell, assembled from a corundum tube and thin plates without welding or reshaping, serves as a container of the vapor sample. It is not vacuum tight: instead, the outer tube provides inert atmosphere. Several spectra of K-edge atomic absorption of Zn were obtained in the stationary working regime below the Zn boiling point. The Kedge profile shows an extremely strong resonance and, above the continuum threshold, coexcitations of the outer electrons. Ó 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.PACS: 78.70.Dm; 39.90.+d Keywords: X-ray atomic absorption; Zn vapor; Zn K-edge Absorption spectrometry of elements in monatomic state is of continuous interest in atomic physics and in structural analysis. A monatomic sample is readily available for elements of noble gas family: indeed, X-ray absorption spectra in the vicinity of K-and L-edges have been studied for most elements of the group [1][2][3][4][5]. The experimental data are used as a test for successive approximations in the theoretical calculation of photoabsorption cross-section. The details of the edge shape and tiny sharp features on the smooth monotonous decrease of the cross-section with energy -the multielectron excitations -reveal some peculiarities of the coupling schemes and configuration interaction in these atoms [6,7].Apart from noble gases, few elements can be prepared in a monatomic gas state. The volatile elements mostly form bi-or polyatomic molecules, the non-volatiles require complex high-temperature Nuclear