A versatile spectrometer for secondary x-ray fluorescence excitation

Inexpensive research equipment for secondary x-ray fluorescence excitation is described. The primary beam from a high-powered x-ray tube is collimated onto the targets, six of which may be easily and safely interchanged. A collimator system ensures that the detector receives radiation from well defined areas of the sample. The geometry minimizes radiation from Compton scattering, the twice-scattered continuum radiation from the x-ray tube, and the characteristic lines from the secondary target. The unit is designed for use with standard x-ray tubes and generators, and is part of an energy-dispersive spectrometer used for multielement analysis. The performance of the system with a variety of samples is described.