Measurement of mass attenuation coefficients of niobium, molybdenum, tantalum and tungsten near the absorption edge

Abstract

This study utilizes the monochromatic X-ray radiation device established by the National Institute of Metrology, China, to conduct a systematic experimental investigation of the mass attenuation coefficients of niobium, molybdenum, tantalum, and tungsten metals near their K absorption edges. The device's ability to generate continuously tunable monochromatic X-rays and accurately measure photon counts provides an ideal condition for precise mass attenuation coefficient measurements. This study employs a minimum energy step of 0.1 keV to systematically obtain the jump ratio rK and jump factor JK near the K-absorption edges of the four materials. The experimental measurements are compared with theoretical values from NIST-XCOM, NIST-FFAST, and Phy-x databases, demonstrating a consistent trend between the experimental and theoretical results, with relative deviations within acceptable limits, thereby validating the reliability of the theoretical models. An uncertainty analysis reveals a combined relative uncertainty of less than 2.7 %, indicating that the experimental results and theoretical values are in good agreement, with deviations and uncertainties within acceptable ranges. This research provides important experimental data and theoretical references for the application of monochromatic X-ray radiation devices in the field of mass attenuation coefficient measurements.

Keywords

• mass attenuation coefficient
• absorption edge
• monochromatic x-ray
• jump ratio
• jump factor