X-ray production cross-sections measurements for high-energy alpha particle beams: New dedicated set-up and first results with aluminum

• Published in: Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section B, Beam interactions with materials and atoms Vol. 269; no. 24; pp. 2979 - 2983
• Main Authors: Dupuis, T., Chêne, G., Mathis, F., Marchal, A., Garnir, H.-P., Strivay, D.
• Format: Journal Article Web Resource
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 15-12-2011; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Alpha particle; Alpha particles; Alpha rays; Aluminum; Beams (radiation); Cross sections; Foils; High-energy; Light elements; Physical, chemical, mathematical & earth Sciences; Physics; Physique; Physique, chimie, mathématiques & sciences de la terre; PIXE; X-rays; PIXE; Cross sections; Alpha particle; High-energy
• ISSN: 0168-583X; 1872-9584; 1872-9584
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nimb.2011.04.057

The “IPNAS” laboratory, in collaboration with the “Centre Européen d’Archéométrie” is partly focused on material analysis by means of IBA techniques: PIXE, PIGE and RBS. A new transport beam line has been developed at our CGR-520
MeV cyclotron to analyze Cultural Heritage objects using these techniques. This facility allows us to produce proton and alpha particle beams with energies up to 20
MeV. A vacuum chamber dedicated to X-ray production and Non-Rutherford cross-section measurements has been recently constructed. After determination of the chamber’s geometry for X-ray detection using thin foils of several elements (11
⩽
Z
⩽
82) and 3
MeV proton beams, the measurement of the X-ray production cross-sections in the 6–12
MeV energy range has started using alpha particle beams on light element targets. These experiments contribute to the filling a serious lack of experimental values for alpha particles of this particular energy range in databases. The recent decision to focus our work on the alpha particle interaction with light elements was taken because of the high interest of the low Z elements in the field of archaeometry.