Development of a large-solid-angle and multi-device detection system for elemental analysis

Sato, Takahiro; Ishii, Keizo*; Kamiya, Tomihiro; Sakai, Takuro; Oikawa, Masakazu*; Arakawa, Kazuo; Matsuyama, Shigeo*; Yamazaki, Hiromichi*

A new detection apparatus for both low energy X-rays and back-scattered protons of MeV energy and its measurement system were developed. The detection apparatus consists of a multi-element detector, pre-amplifiers with active reset system and so on. The detector elements are arranged in the shape of a pentagonal pyramid and fully cover the sample. On each one detection side, 9 detector elements are arranged. The entire detection system consists thus of 45 detector elements. The micro-beam irradiates the sample through the center of the pentagonal pyramid and X-rays emitted from the sample are detected in close to geometry. This novel detection setup has about 10 times the sensitivity of a conventional Micro-PIXE camera. The counting rate of back-scattered protons per detection element is small despite lack of a passive absorber. It appears possible that X-rays from the very small quantity of elements could also be detected. The advantage over a conventional Micro-PIXE camera includes simultaneous detection of back-scattered protons from N, C and O.