Non-destructive, position-selective, and multi-elemental analysis method involving negative muons

Abstract

Elemental analysis is of fundamental importance in several scientific domains. Many elemental analysis methods have been developed till date, with particular importance having been given to non-destructive analysis methods. In this paper, we review a novel non-destructive, position-selective, and multi-elemental analysis method for bulk material that utilizes a new type of probe, a negative muon. When a muon is stopped by an atom in a material, muonic X-rays are emitted. Due to the large mass of a muon, the energy of muonic X-rays is very high, and the “X-ray fluorescence analysis” method using a muon can solve the problem of self-absorption in an ordinary method using an electron. Two studies involving quantitative and depth-profiling analysis of archeological artifacts by this method are reviewed in this work. We also discuss the scope for future research using this method.