Possible use of low voltage accelerators in PIXE analysis

A low energy (200 keV) accelerator routinely used as a neutron generator has been modified and a procedure established to extend the use to include proton induced X-ray emission (PIXE) analytical method. With these modifications, the generator has been used to measure the proton induced X-ray emission cross sections for twenty-eight elements ranging from aluminium to lead at 160 keV bombarding energy. Using these cross sections, the minimum detection limits for trace element determination in a rock matrix of average atomic number 13 have been evaluated.