T. Calligaro et al., Development of an external beam nuclear microprobe on the Aglae facility of the Louvre museum, NUCL INST B, 161, 2000, pp. 328-333
The external beam Line of our facility has been recently equipped with the
focusing system previously mounted on a classical nuclear microprobe. When
using a 0.1 mu m thick Si3N4 foil for the exit window and flowing helium on
the sample under analysis, a beam spot as small as 10 mu m is attainable a
t a distance of 3 mm from the window. Elemental micromapping is performed b
y mechanical scanning. An electronic device has been designed which allows
XY scanning by moving the sample under the beam by steps down to 0.1 mu m.
Beam monitoring is carried out by means of the weak X-ray signal emitted by
the exit foil and detected by a specially designed Si(Li) detector cooled
by Peltier effect. The characteristics of external beams of protons and alp
ha particles are evaluated by means of resonance scanning and elemental map
ping of a grid. An example of application is presented, dealing with elemen
tal micro-mapping of inclusions in gemstones. (C) 2000 Published by Elsevie
r Science B.V. All rights reserved.