Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G21—NUCLEAR PHYSICS; NUCLEAR ENGINEERING
  • G21K—HANDLING OF PARTICLES OR IONISING RADIATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; IRRADIATION DEVICES; GAMMA RAY OR X-RAY MICROSCOPES
  • G21K1/00—Arrangements for handling particles or ionising radiation, e.g. focusing or moderating
  • G21K1/02—Arrangements for handling particles or ionising radiation, e.g. focusing or moderating using diaphragms, collimators

Definitions

• the invention relates to an X-ray optical element as disclosed in the introductory part of claim 1, to a collimator for high-energy electromagnetic radiation as disclosed in the introductory part of claim 4, to an alternative X-ray optical element as disclosed in the introductory part of claim 12, to an alternative collimator as disclosed in the introductory part of claim 13 , to an X-ray detector as disclosed in the introductory part of claim 15 as well as to a spectrometer as disclosed in the introductory part of claim 16.
• the edge zone Because of the angulation of the edge zone, radiation incident thereon is reflected at an angle which is more inclined, relative to the direction of propagation of the rays, notably X-rays, than in the absence of the angulation. Both the reflected radiation and the secondary radiation are thus removed from the radiation containing the actual information. The disturbance component is thus reduced.
• the construction of the diaphragm overall may still be very thin, thus enabling only slight interaction with the diaphragm material.
• the angulation advantageously is such that the passage opening becomes narrower in the beam direction.
• the rays interacting with the edge zone of the passage opening therefore, are incident on a surface which is inclined towards the rays in the case of a parallel beam path and hence are very thoroughly deflected way from the propagation direction followed thus far upon incidence on this surface.
• X-ray optical elements of this kind can be used in various devices, notably in collimators in X-ray spectrometers and X-ray detectors for the examination of information originating from an X-ray beam. Trace analysis represents one possible field of application.
• An alternative embodiment of an X-ray optical element is provided with a graduation where different zones are formed in the direction of propagation of the beam in conformity with claim 12, so that rays which are incident on a wall surface in the elongate zone and are reflected or scattered thereby or cause secondary radiation are kept away from the beam path by reflection or absorption by the step in the subsequent, constricted zone.
• a collimator may also be provided with such an element; a combination of the above- mentioned elements and the graduated elements is also feasible. In any case, an adequate distance should again be maintained between the element at the entrance side and the element at the exit side in the collimator. Elements may also be arranged therebetween.
• Fig. 1 shows a collimator as part of an X-ray detector or spectrometer with two X-ray optical elements as claimed in claim 1,
• Fig. 2 is a sectional view of a first embodiment of an X-ray optical element
• Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of an X-ray optical element
• Fig. 4 shows a detail at an enlarged scale of the device of Fig. 1 in which X- rays are incident at a grazing angle on the edge zones
• Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of an X-ray optical element which is composed of two plate members
• Fig. 6 shows an embodiment which is similar to that of Fig. 5 and in which the graduated X-ray optical element is constructed as a single piece.
• the collimator 1 shown in Fig. 1 forms part of an X-ray spectrometer (not completely shown) or an X-ray detector in which the X-rays 7 are conducted to a detection surface 2.
• the collimator 1 serves as an imaging element which operates purely in the transmission mode for high-energy electromagnetic rays, for example, for X-rays.
• the collimator 1 includes an entrance diaphragm 3 and an exit diaphragm 4 as well as a tube 5 which is situated therebetween and on the inner walls 6 of which reflection, scattering or other formation of secondary radiation of the electromagnetic rays propagating along the optical path 8 can take place.
• the diaphragms 3, 4 are provided with respective passage openings 3a, 4a which are constructed, for example, as a slit or as a passage opening bounded by a round contour.
• the edge zones 3b, 4b are angulated relative to the direction of propagation of the rays which in this case coincides with the optical axis 8.
• the X-ray optical elements 3, 4 may be provided with different angulations in their edge zones 9, 10 as shown in Fig. 3.
• the angle ⁇ of the edge zone 9 of the diaphragm 3 at the entrance side relative to the optical axis 8 is chosen to be such that a light beam 7a which is incident at a grazing angle would not be incident on the diaphragm 4 at the exit side, but on the zones 6 of the walls of the collimator. It is thus ensured that all rays which are not incident at a grazing angle but are reflected at an angle ⁇ relative to the surface of the edge zone 9 will be incident on the inner wall zones 6. The same holds for secondary rays emanating at an angle ⁇ .
• the angle ⁇ of the edge zones 10 around the passage opening 4a of the X-ray optical element 4 at the exit side is such that a grazing ray 7b thereon just has to originate from the inner walls 6.
• the distance L between the entrance diaphragm 3 and the exit diaphragm 4 is chosen accordingly.
• the collimator 1 may also be provided with a total of more than one diaphragm 3 at the entrance side and one diaphragm 4 at the exit side, that is, an arrangement of a plurality of diaphragms may be provided in the beam path 7; in that case each of said diaphragms or some of said diaphragms may be provided with angulated edge zones 9, 10.
• the X-ray optical elements 3, 4 together lead to a stronger enlargement of the emission angle ⁇ of scattered radiation and fluorescent radiation, emanating as secondary rays in the case of interaction between high-energy electromagnetic waves and matter, from the beam path 7 relative to the propagation direction 7 of the rays to be measured on the detector 2. Consequently, fewer of such disturbing rays appear on the detector window 2.
• Figs. 5 and 6 show X-ray optical elements 103, 104 which can be used as an alternative for the X-ray optical elements 3, 4.
• the diaphragms 3, 4 as well as 103, 104 can be selected and used also in an X-ray detector or spectrometer, as desired.
• Fig. 5 shows a diaphragm 103 which is composed of two assembled plate members 111, 112; such plate members 111, 112 may contain different materials.
• X-ray optical elements 3, 4, 103, 104 of this kind are generally known for use in spectrometers, for example, for trace analysis, or in X-ray detectors, for example, for the acquisition of information concerning different absorption behaviors of X-rays in a spatially resolved manner. A special application is found in X-ray detectors or spectrometers or spectrometers utilizing similar high-energy radiation.

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• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Spectroscopy & Molecular Physics (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• High Energy & Nuclear Physics (AREA)
• Analysing Materials By The Use Of Radiation (AREA)
• X-Ray Techniques (AREA)

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• 2002
  • 2002-05-30 WO PCT/IB2002/001965 patent/WO2002097826A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2002-05-30 EP EP02733099A patent/EP1393327B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2002-05-30 DE DE60237442T patent/DE60237442D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2002-05-30 AT AT02733099T patent/ATE479191T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2002-05-30 JP JP2003500923A patent/JP4315798B2/ja not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2002-05-30 US US10/479,498 patent/US7194067B2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime

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