{"id":{"repo_id":"cape-town","oai_identifier":"oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/22046"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/cape-town/oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/22046","repository":{"repo_id":"cape-town","name":"University of Cape Town","base_url":"https://open.uct.ac.za/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"The development of the national accelerator centre proton microprobe as an analytical tool in geochemistry","abstract":"This thesis describes work performed to establish and demonstrate a quantitative trace element microanalysis technique for geological material using protons accelerated by the Van de Graaff Accelerator at the National Accelerator Centre (NAC) in Faure near Cape Town. The method relies on the analysis of Proton Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) spectra, interpreted with the help of the GeoPIXE software package. The use of the Si(Li) energy dispersive detector provides simultaneous multi-element detection at the parts-per-million (ppm) level, and a scanning beam facility permits trace element distributions to be studied at these levels. The calibration of the detector efficiency and the thicknesses of selectable X-ray attenuating filters was performed using pure elemental samples. This involved the accurate determination of the target to detector distance, the thickness of the active volume of the Si(Li) detector crystal, the thicknesses of all the absorbing layers between the sample and the detector crystal, and the assessment of the effects of incomplete charge collection in the detector.","abstract_html":"This thesis describes work performed to establish and demonstrate a quantitative trace element microanalysis technique for geological material using protons accelerated by the Van de Graaff Accelerator at the National Accelerator Centre (NAC) in Faure near Cape Town. The method relies on the analysis of Proton Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) spectra, interpreted with the help of the GeoPIXE software package. The use of the Si(Li) energy dispersive detector provides simultaneous multi-element detection at the parts-per-million (ppm) level, and a scanning beam facility permits trace element distributions to be studied at these levels. The calibration of the detector efficiency and the thicknesses of selectable X-ray attenuating filters was performed using pure elemental samples. This involved the accurate determination of the target to detector distance, the thickness of the active volume of the Si(Li) detector crystal, the thicknesses of all the absorbing layers between the sample and the detector crystal, and the assessment of the effects of incomplete charge collection in the detector.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Van Achterbergh, Esmé"],"institution":"Department of Geological Sciences","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Le Roex, Anton","Gurney, John J"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":1995,"date_issued":"1995","date_published":"1995","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:23:47Z","subjects":[],"languages":["eng"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/11427/22046","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Le Roex, Anton","Gurney, John J"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Van Achterbergh, Esmé"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2016-10-03T04:06:11Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2016-10-03T04:06:11Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["1995"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.department","label":"Dc Publisher Department","values":["Department of Geological Sciences"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.institution","label":"Dc Publisher Institution","values":["University of Cape Town"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Master Thesis"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationlevel","label":"Dc Type Qualificationlevel","values":["Masters"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationname","label":"Dc Type Qualificationname","values":["MSc"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["eng"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/11427/22046"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Bibliography: pages 94-99."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This thesis describes work performed to establish and demonstrate a quantitative trace element microanalysis technique for geological material using protons accelerated by the Van de Graaff Accelerator at the National Accelerator Centre (NAC) in Faure near Cape Town. The method relies on the analysis of Proton Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) spectra, interpreted with the help of the GeoPIXE software package. The use of the Si(Li) energy dispersive detector provides simultaneous multi-element detection at the parts-per-million (ppm) level, and a scanning beam facility permits trace element distributions to be studied at these levels. The calibration of the detector efficiency and the thicknesses of selectable X-ray attenuating filters was performed using pure elemental samples. 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