This paper introduces the first use of laser-generated proton beams as diagnostic for materials of interest in the domain of Cultural Heritage. Using laser-accelerated protons, as generated by interaction of a high-power short-pulse laser with a solid target, we can produce proton-induced X-ray emission spectroscopies (PIXE). By correctly tuning the proton flux on the sample, we are able to per...

Fluorine (F) and strontium (Sr) are key elements in the de- and remineralization of teeth. To quantitatively analyze the distribution of F and Sr, micro-particle-induced gamma/X-ray emission (PIGE/PIXE) technique was used. The cavities were prepared and filled with the fluoride- and Sr-containing restorative materials (FSCMs) in extracted human molars. The single-section enamel specimens were p...

PIXE (Proton Induced X-ray Emission) is a well-known method for elemental analyses of specimens in applied studies. In this paper, we report results of an application of PIXE in trace-element analysis of normal and vitrified carnations in vitro culture. Experiments were performed to study the vitrification in connection with the trace elements in carnation tissues. About two hundred PIXE spectr...

We optimized proton-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) for tissue analysis in a toxicity-disposition study. We used cultured rabbit renal slices as the biological system to demonstrate the use of PIXE analysis. The renal slices were exposed to HgCl2, CdCl2, K2Cr2O7, or NaAsO2 alone or in a mixture. The PIXE analysis provides information on concentrations of elements above atomic number 11, and it is...

BACKGROUND Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) is a rare disease occurred by idiopathic (autoimmune) or secondary to particle inhalation. The in-air microparticle induced X-ray emission (in-air micro-PIXE) system performs elemental analysis of materials by irradiation with a proton microbeam, and allows visualization of the spatial distribution and quantitation of various elements with very lo...

Subtle variations in ink color and paper of postage stamps can affect their value and desirability to collectors and investors. Protoninduced Xray emission spectrometry (PIXE) is a generally nondestructive forensic analysis tool that reveals the concentrations of chemical elements in a sample. PIXE has been used for more than 30 years, sometimes in conjunction with other analytical methods, to ...

Large samples of tissue and biopsy specimen were taken from a single human liver, homogenized or paraffin-embedded, then analyzed by PIXE. Homogenates, including those of biopsies, proved to be suitable for PIXE-analysis of P, S, Ca, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Se, Rb, Mo, Cd and, to a limited extent, Pb. Paraffin-embedding leads to a distinct elution of K, Rb, Cl and to a lesser elution of P, Zn, Se, Br a...

The Rutherford Backscattering Spectroscopy (RBS) and Particle Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) techniques can be used to obtain complementary information about the characteristics of a sample but, traditionally, a gap has separated the available computer codes for analyzing data from each technique, being hard to simultaneously analyze data from the same sample. The recent development of a free an...