Spectroscopy alpha spectroscopy

Hey! You are right - the penetrating power of alpha particles is rather low, so the main requirement for samples is that they must be very thin. In addition samples should be free of impurities, if possible. Currently, there are 3 main methods for getting rid of impurities: evaporation, electrolytic deposition and microprecipitation with fluorides or hydroxides of rare earth elements. For measurement samples are applied in a very thin layer

@elizaveta-msu thanks! during sample preparation, are all three methods equivalent or should I choose a specific one?

I wonder why this type of spectroscopy is unique, what it allows to detect, in contrast to electron microscopy?

@argentum to be honest, I've never heard of electron microscopy used to determine alpha particles. We always use alpha spectroscopy or liquid scintillation spectroscopy for these purposes

@elizaveta-msu Thank you, ok

@argentum I just don't know if it is possible to determine the energy of alpha particles using electron microscopy, or, for example, to detect them separately from beta particles and gamma quanta. If it's possible, then this is very interesting

@elizaveta-msu I wonder if alpha particles can be used to determine the relief of surfaces, similar to electron microscopy)

@argentum hmm it seems to me that this is impossible, because alpha particles are formed during radioactive decay, and alpha spectroscopy is used primarily for analysis in radiochemistry

@elizaveta-msu ok, it just seems like an X-ray tube with a source of alpha rays inside, which are focused exactly on the object

@argentum I've got it, we misunderstood each other 🙂 in alpha spectroscopy we analyze directly alpha particles, their energy and the source of alpha radiation, this method is used mainly in radiochemistry. In other methods of analysis, as, for example, in an X-ray tube, alpha particles are used in order to investigate other substances, that is, in this case, we kind of ignore the alpha particles themselves

@elizaveta-msu Yes, that's right, but does this method of analysis exist using alpha particles?

@argentum you've mentioned an X-ray tube with a source of alpha rays inside

@elizaveta-msu No, not an X-ray, but a kind of tube with an alpha-ray source

@elizaveta-msu what about sample preparation? are all three methods equivalent or should I choose a specific one?