A theoretical model for the analysis of backscattered-conversion electron Mössbauer spectroscopy: Angular and energy distributions

Abstract

The intensities of resonant and nonrescnant electrons emerging from the absorber in specific angular intervals have been studied using the model developed previously /1/ for a 1.0 μm thick 0.92857Fe foil mounted on a stainless steel substrate. The signal-to-background (S/B) ratio, which is proportional to the spectral area from a conversion electron Mossbauer spectrum, has been calculated and compared with experimental data. The simulated angular distributions for backscattered-resonant, and backscattered-nonresonant electrons both provide cosine-type ourves and are similar to experimental data, resulting in an isotropic distribution of the S/B ratio. The predicted S/B ratio, however, is about twioe the S/B ratio measured experimentally. This discrepancy may result from the neglect of: (i) electrons below 50 eV and (ii) multiple scattering events. Despite these shortoomings the model proposed in this study is capable of comparing the relative magnitude of the resonant and nonresonant signals, thereby, calibrating the resonant signal against the nonresonant background. This prooedure appears to provide important information helpful for nondestructive depth-profiling studies.