Interdisciplinary X-Ray Microanalysis: From Planets and Comets to Artifacts and Fine Art

Abstract

A cryogenic microcalorimeter x-ray spectrometer is coupled to an FEI XL30 environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM). The microcalorimeter is designed to obtain high resolution broadband xray spectra in the energy range of 150 eV to 10 keV. An x-ray optic enhances the solid angle for x-ray energies between 150 eV and 2300 eV. This enables precise microanalysis with relatively low energy (< 5 keV) electrons. The detected x-ray photons are time-tagged and synchronized with the electron beam scan to generate high resolution x-ray maps.