1. Introduction
X-ray spectrometry techniques are nowadays widely used in many analytical applications. The different interactions of x-rays with matter have served to provide useful information for comprehensive characterization of materials, including:
- Elemental composition (x-ray characteristic emission)
- Mineral composition (x-ray diffraction)
- Chemical speciation (x-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy)
- Density (x-ray attenuation and phase contrast tomography)
- Spatial distribution of elements (micro and confocal x-ray fluorescence, x-ray selective absorption tomography)
- Characterization of layered structures (x-ray reflectometry, grazing incidence x-ray emission)
This course aims at introducing the reader to fundamentals of several x-ray spectroscopy techniques: Due to the common need for elemental composition analysis, emphasis is made on Energy Dispersive x-ray Fluorescence, which constitutes an affordable option for IAEA Member States laboratories.
