Photoelectron and photoion spectroscopy on atomic Lu in the region of the 5p excitation

The $5p \rightarrow nd$ resonances of atomic Lu have been investigated by photoelectron and photoion spectroscopy using monochromatized synchrotron radiation in the vacuum ultraviolet energy region. The total photoion yield has been compared to calculations in which the extended Fano theory (Mies formalism) and the Hartree-Fock method were applied. The resonance structure is dominated by the spin-orbit splitting of the 5p core hole. In the photoion yield spectra of singly and doubly charged ions a high fraction of Lu2+ ions has been found in the region of the $5p^{-1}(^2P_{1/2})nd$ resonances. Photoelectron spectra, recorded in this resonance region, have been investigated with respect to deexcitation channels connected with Lu2+ ions. The $5p^{-1}(^2P_{1/2})nd$ resonances predominantly autoionize by spin-flip into $5p^{-1}(^2P_{3/2})\epsilon\ell$ states, which decay in the second step into Lu2+ final ionic states

Advanced Absorption Correction for 3D Elemental Images Applied to the Analysis of Pearl Millet Seeds Obtained with a Laboratory Confocal Micro X‑ray Fluorescence Spectrometer

We present a novel absorption correction approach for elemental distribution images obtained with a laboratory confocal micro X-ray fluorescence spectrometer. The procedure is suited especially for biological samples, as a constant dark matrix with a varying minor or trace element distribution is assumed. The constant absorption in the sample is extracted from depth dependent measurements. By using the concept of an effective excitation energy, depth-dependent, and element-specific excitation energy values are calculated. For each voxel of a full 3D measurement, a correction is performed taking into account the actual number of voxels in the excitation and detection path. As proof of concept, the embryonic region of pearl millet seeds is investigated. Data are measured from the top and bottom side, resulting in a good agreement after the application of the absorption correction procedure. The distribution of elemental micronutrients is compared in seeds of two pearl millet genotypes. The corrected images illustrate different localization patterns of the micronutrient elements in pearl millet seed tissues

Development of a non-destructive method for underglaze painted tiles – demonstrated by the analysis of Persian objects from the nineteenth century.

The paper presents an analytical method developed for the nondestructive study of nineteenth-century Persian polychrome underglaze painted tiles. As an example, 9 tiles from French and German museum collections were investigated. Before this work was undertaken little was known about the materials used in pottery at that time, although the broad range of colors and shades, together with their brilliant glazes, made these objects stand out when compared with Iranian ceramics of the preceding periods and suggested the use of new pigments, colorants, and glaze compositions. These materials are thought to be related to provenance and as such appropriate criteria for art-historical attribution. The analytical method is based on the combination of different nondestructive spectroscopic techniques using microfocused beams such as proton-induced X-ray emission/proton-induced γ-ray emission, X-ray fluorescence, 3D X-ray absorption near edge structure, and confocal Raman spectroscopy and also visible spectroscopy. It was established to address the specific difficulties these objects and the technique of underglaze painting raise. The exact definition of the colors observed on the tiles using the Natural Color System®© helped to attribute them to different colorants. It was possible to establish the presence of Cr- and U-based colorants as new materials in nineteenth-century Persian tilemaking. The difference in glaze composition (Pb, Sn, Na, and K contents) as well as the use of B and Sn were identified as a potential marker for different workshops