Proton Induced X-Ray Analysis (PIXE)

An inter-comparison of PIXE spectrometry software packages was organized by the IAEA in 2000. It was based on a prepared set of calibration and test spectra representing four typical samples analysed by PIXE laboratories:

   1.    A thin aerosol material on a thin polycarbonate backing,
    2.    A thick stainless steel sample containing Nb and Mo,
    3.    A thick sample of biological material, and
    4.    A thick glass sample.

The procedures use to generate the test spectra, the methods used in the inter-comparison exercise and the outputs of the participating software packages has been published as IAEA-TECDOC-1342 "Intercomparison of software packages for analysis of PIXE spectra". This document can be downloaded from here. The calibration and test spectra can be downloaded from here.

This inter-comparison exercise has been described in two papers published in Nuclear Instruments Methods:

   1.    "The 2000 IAEA test spectra for PIXE spectrometry", S. Fazinic, M. Jaksic, J.L. Campbell,
            P. Van Espen. M. Blaauw, I. Orlic, Nucl. Instr. Meth. B183 (2001) 439.

   2.    "The 2000 IAEA intercomparison of PIXE spectrum analysis software", M. Blaauw,
            J.L. Campbell, S. Fazinic, M. Jaksic, I. Orlic, P. Van Espen, Nucl. Instr. Meth. B189 (2002) 113.