PIXE - Particle Induced X-Ray Spectroscopy
PIXE is method in which X-ray emission is used for elemental analysis. T he high energetic proton beam excites, due to inner-shell ionization, the emission of characteristic X-rays from the sample atoms. In the true sense, PIXE is not a nuclear technique, since the ionisation of the atoms by the ion beam and the subsequent emission of characteristic X-rays are purely atomic electromagnetic processes.
Example of PIXE analysis of atmospheric aerosols:
