ABSTRACT
The frequently cited analogy between Proton-Induced X-Ray Emission (PIXE) and the more venerable technique of electron-probe micro-analysis provides a good context for newcomers to PIXE. The source of protons for PIXE is a small Van de Graaff accelerator. The success of PIXE and other ion beam analysis techniques has revitalised technological development of both single-end and tandem accelerators providing proton energies up to 3 MeV. PIXE with proton beams of a few mm diameter competes with conventional X-ray fluorescence analysis and has found some important niches, usually involving thin specimens. The growing role of PIXE in air particulate analysis has already been described. There exist many fairly routine applications of PIXE’s capability in the analysis of water residues and estuarine sludge, including, for example, the study of metal diffusion and sedimentation in the Venice Lagoon. The non-destructive, in-situ nature of PIXE is well suited to the study of archaeological material.
