CRP: Reference Database for Particle Induced Gamma-ray Emission (PIGE)

(2011 - 2015)

Final PIGE Publication

The PIGE CRP was held from 2011 to 2015 with the final RCM taking place in 2014 as described below. All the cross-section and thick-target yield data measured during the CRP have been uploaded to IBANDL.

Apart from measurements, the CRP work included assessment of the data by systematic comparisons with thick-target yields and evaluated cross-sections where available. An inter-laboratory exercise was held to establish the level of compatibility and accuracy attainable by all the ten contributing laboratories.

Part of the work of the CRP is described in NIMB 371 (2016) 33-36, while a detailed account of all the measurements, including the inter-laboratory exercise and assessments are given in the final CRP document IAEA-TECDOC-1822.

3rd Research Coordination Meeting

The 3rd and final RCM of the PIGE CRP was held from 7 to 11 April 2014, at the IAEA Headquarters in Vienna.

Adopted Agenda
Presentations
Photos (from 3rd RCM and Joint Session)
Summary Report: INDC(NDS)-0664

On Wednesday 9 April 2014, a joint session was held with participants attending the Consultant's Meeting on Improving the Quality of Analytical Data Measured by Ion Beams (from 7 to 10 April 2014, IAEA, Vienna, PO: Aliz Simon).

The schedule of this session was the following:

NDS Programme on IBA applications, P. Dimitriou (10')+ V. Zerkin (5'), Nuclear Data Section, IAEA, Vienna
PS Programme on IBA applications, A. Simon (15'), Physics Section, IAEA, Vienna
PIGE CRP: Where are we?, Massimo Chiari, INFN Firenze, Italy (10')
From data to PIGE analysis, Adelaide Pedro de Jesus, IST, Portugal (10')
Improving the Quality of Analytical Data Measured by Ion Beams, Nuno Barradas, IST, Portugal (10')
Uncertainty of EBS scattering cross-section function, Chris Jeynes, University of Surrey, England (10')

Discussions that followed covered the following topics:

IBANDL
Standardless PIGE: codes
Joint NDS-PS ICTP/IAEA Workshop
Uncertainty of EBS scattering cross-section
Future Activities

Consultant's Meeting on Accuracy of Experimental and Theoretical Nuclear Cross Sections for Ion Beam Analysis and Benchmarking

A Consultant's Meeting on Accuracy of Experimental and Theoretical Nuclear Cross Sections for Ion Beam Analysis and Benchmarking was held from 11-13 March 2013 at IAEA, Vienna, to discuss current methods of measuring and evaluating uncertainties in nuclear cross sections relevant to IBA applications and benchmarking. The presentations of the meeting are available here. The summary report of the meeting has been published in INDC(NDS)-0634.

The PIGE CRP

Several ion beam analysis (IBA) techniques are important for analytical purposes. Among these, EBS (Elastic Backscattering Spectroscopy) and NRA (Nuclear Reaction Analysis) with charged particles were recently explored by the IAEA in the CRP about IBANDL(Ion Beam Analysis Nuclear Data Library). Particle-Induced Gamma-ray Emission (PIGE) is one of the most powerful analytical techniques that exploit the interactions of rapid (~ MeV) charged particles with matter to determine the composition and structure of the surface regions of solids (from ~ 0 to 500 μm) by measurement of characteristic prompt γ rays. This technique has been used since the early 1960s for different applications ranging from analysis of fission reactor materials to biomedicine, environment, cultural heritage and, more recently, fusion reactor materials. It has the potential for depth profiling with better resolution than the other IBA techniques. The basic physical processes underlying PIGE are now well understood, but the reliability of analytical results is limited by knowledge of the physical data, namely stopping powers and the relevant cross sections.

Although there is a considerable body of published data in the nuclear physics literature, there is no up-to-date, comprehensive compilation especially dedicated to the IBA community.

The aim of this CRP is to create a database of Particle-Induced Gamma-ray Emission cross sections and to improve the quality and availability of nuclear data for the PIGE technique.

The specific objectives include:

Identify the most important nuclear reactions for PIGE
Search the literature and electronic databases for relevant data and convert them to a suitable format for use in PIGE simluation programs
Compare data from different sources and carry out measurements when data are not available or unresolved discrepancies exist
Incorporate all measured data into the database, and make them available to the IBA community