Solid/liquid interfaces are important locations for various chemical reactions, such as electrode chemical reactions and metal corrosions. Conventional surface analytical methods, such as XPS and SEM-EDS, have been applied to solid materials after being removed from the liquid phase. These methods do not involve direct observation, although useful information is available. It is important to di...

High energy synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence (SR-XRF) spectra for the forensic analysis of Wakayama arsenic poisoning case, Japan, were revisited. The spectra were measured at SPring-8 synchrotron facility by Nakai in December 1998 and Mo, Sn, Sb, and Bi were used as index elements at that time to demonstrate that the suspected saleswoman’s pesticide and that found near the curry pot we...

XRF (X-ray fluorescence) is a powerful technique for elemental analysis with a high sensitivity. The resolution is presently limited by the size of the primary excitation X-ray beam. A test-bed for confocal-type XRF has been developed to estimate the ultimate lateral resolution which could be reached in chemical mapping using this technique. A polycapillary lens is used to tightly focus the pri...

The development of highly efficient X-ray optics has allowed the development of bench-top XRF systems which have high intensity X-ray beams with diameters ranging from 10 micrometres through to a few millimetres. Coupled with integrated high magnification optical cameras, these systems are ideally suited to the needs of the forensic scientist. A microscopic particle from a crime scene can be an...

— We present Chandra and VLT observations of the X−Ray Flash XRF 040812. The X−ray analysis reveals with high precision the position of a hard, fading source. A careful analysis of our I−band VLT images taken starting 17 hours after the burst led to the discovery of the optical afterglow superimposed to a bright (I = 21.5) host galaxy. The optical afterglow is seen decaying with an index of 1.1...

Introduction: This paper describes the progress in the development and application of the AEXS instrument to determine elemental abundance by analysis of the excired XRF spectra. The AEXS is a miniature instrument based on the excitation of characteristic X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) spectra from samples in ambient atmosphere using a focused electron beam. Operation in ambient atmospheres with mode...

Calcium and potassium are essential for cell signaling, ion homeostasis and cell wall strength in plants. Unlike nutrients such as nitrogen and potassium, calcium is immobile in plants. Localized calcium deficiencies result in agricultural losses; particularly for fleshy horticultural crops in which elemental imbalances in fruit contribute to the development of physiological disorders such as b...