Advances in the measurements of the mass attenuation coefficients

Abstract

The knowledge of atomic fundamental parameters, such as mass attenuation coefficients or fluorescence yields with low uncertainties, is of decisive importance in elemental quantification involving X‐ray fluorescence analysis techniques. Several databases providing the mass attenuation coefficients are accessible and frequently used within a large community of users. These compilations are most often in good agreement for photon energies in the hard X‐ray ranges. However, they significantly differ for low photon energies and around the absorption edges of the elements. Mass attenuation coefficients of several elements were determined experimentally in the photon energy range from 100 eV to 35 keV by using monochromatized radiation at the SOLEIL synchrotron (France). The application of high‐accuracy experimental techniques resulted in low uncertainty mass attenuation coefficients. The results are compared with tabulated data.