Microbeam performance measurements of an integrated x-ray tube and polycapillary x-ray lens system for medical x-ray fluorescence research

POSTER

Abstract

Research and development of polycapillary x-ray lenses (PXLs) in the past few decades have significantly improved the performance of x-ray tube-based devices intended for x-ray diffraction (XRD) and x-ray fluorescence (XRF) applications. PXLs are bundled micron-size glass capillaries that guide x-ray photons. Focusing capabilities of PXLs can augment the photon fluence rate of x-ray beams by a few orders of magnitude. PXLs work on the basis of the total x-ray reflection mechanism in which the x-ray photon reflects on a surface for incident angles below a critical angle. The critical angle is inverse proportional to the x-ray photon energy. Therefore, the optical parameters of PXLs are energy-dependent. In this study size measurements of an x-ray beam produced by an integrated polycapillary x-ray lens and x-ray tube system were performed using a scanning x-ray fluorescence method with three different thin metallic wires. The proposed method is useful in XRF applications for which the effective x-ray beam size for elemental detection is required.

Authors

  • Mihai Gherase

    California State University, Fresno

  • Chi-Yu Hu

    University of California - Berkeley, National Institute for Materials Science, Caifornia State University, Long Beach, University of Michigan, Stockholm University, California State University, Long Beach, Utrecht University, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Germany, Hartnell Community College, Department of Physics, Stockholm University, GRAPPA, University of Amsterdam, Paul Scherrer Institute, Switzerland, California State University, Fresno, California State University Long Beach, Cal State Univ- Long Beach, University of Nevada, Reno, University of Rogensberg, Germany, Tribhuvan University, Nepal, University of Victoria and Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, Institute of Physics, Jagiellonian University, Helmholtz Institute Mainz, Johannes Gutenberg University, Physics Department of the University of Nevada, Reno, Universita del Sannio, Cal Tech, California State University, Los Angeles, Univ of California - San Diego, UC Berkeley, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of California, Irvine 92617, Department of Chemistry and of Physics & Astronomy, University of California, Irvine 92617, SLAC National Laboratory, Humboldt State University, Physics Department, University of Nevada, Reno, Univ of California - Merced