K/sub. beta. //K/sub. cap alpha. / transition probability ratios from the measurement of fluorescent X-ray intensities of some lanthanide compounds

Thesis/Dissertation · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:6961407

Borowski, K J

The effect that different chemical and physical atomic environments can have on the relative intensities of radiative electron transitions from the filling of K shell vacancies was investigated. The method used involved the detection of photoionization induced X-ray fluorescence. An experimental system based on a hyper pure germanium detector (HPGE) was used to measure the relative K-L and K-M X-ray yields from the photofluorescence of a series of lanthanide elements and compounds. A background subtraction and peak integration strategy was employed which accounted for scattering in the samples and scattering of the flux from the radioisotope photoionization sources. Analysis of the data resulted in a tabulation of relative K/sub ..beta..//K/sub ..cap alpha../ X-ray intensity ratios. The measured relative K/sub ..beta..//K/sub ..cap alpha../ X-ray intensity ratios were compared to the calculated values predicted by the theoretical development of Scofield and the average of previous experimental values as compiled by Salem, et al. Comparison of the present results to theory and previous experiments leads to the conclusion that the chemical environment of the elements lanthanum, cerium, europium, gadolinium, terbium and lutetium can have a marked effect on the observed K/sub ..beta..//K/sub ..cap alpha../ X-ray intensity ratios. In every example, except that of terbium, the chemical effect on the K/sub ..beta..//K/sub ..cap alpha../ X-ray intensity ratio can be related to differences in atomic charge radii and magnetic susceptibilities of the particular lanthanide element in its different chemical environments. Suggestions are made for future experiments to extend investigation of this phenomenon to other elements in the periodic table. Only broad suggestions are made as to the limitations of the present theory. 42 references.

• Research Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst., Troy, NY (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6961407
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400101 -- Activation
Nuclear Reaction
Radiometric & Radiochemical Procedures
400201* -- Chemical & Physicochemical Properties
CERIUM
CERIUM COMPOUNDS
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
DATA ANALYSIS
ELEMENTS
EUROPIUM
EUROPIUM COMPOUNDS
GADOLINIUM
GADOLINIUM COMPOUNDS
IONIZATION
LANTHANUM
LANTHANUM COMPOUNDS
LUTETIUM
LUTETIUM COMPOUNDS
MAGNETIC PROPERTIES
MAGNETIC SUSCEPTIBILITY
METALS
NONDESTRUCTIVE ANALYSIS
PHOTOIONIZATION
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RARE EARTH COMPOUNDS
RARE EARTHS
TERBIUM
TERBIUM COMPOUNDS
X-RAY EMISSION ANALYSIS
X-RAY FLUORESCENCE ANALYSIS