X-ray chemical analyzer for field applications

Claim 1

A self-contained portable field X-ray multichannel analyzer for in situ analysis of the chemical composition of a specimen comprising: a cylindrical sensing probe having means for receiving electrical energy and a cooling fluid at one end thereof, and an irradiator head at the other end thereof, said irradiator head containing a radioactive γ emitter adapted to irradiate said specimen with γ-rays, thereby generating X-ray photons having an energy spectrum chacteristic of the chemical composition of said specimen; a radiation detector adapted to receive said X-rays and produce output electrical pulses having an amplitude proportional to the energy level of said X-ray photons; a pulse amplifier connected to said detector adapted to receive said output pulse and provide an amplified output pulse thereof; and a cryostat in a heat exchange relationship with said detector so as to maintain said detector at a cryogenic temperature; a closed cycle cryocooler, said cryocooler being remotely locatable with respect to said cryostat, flexibly coupled thereto and adapted to provide a closed cycle circulation of compressed coolant through said cryostat so as to maintain said detector at a cryogenic temperature, independent of any supply of consumable cryogenic fluid; a multichannel X-ray analyzer adapted to receive, sort, store, count and record said X-ray photons present in said X-radiation energy spectrum, said multichannel X-ray analyzer being remotely locatable with respect to said pulse amplifier and flexibly electrically connected thereto so as to receive said output pulse therefrom; a voltage source adapted to provide an operating voltage potential for said energy dispersive spectrometry detecting means; and means for connecting said operating voltage potential across said detecting means, said connecting means being flexible so as to facilitate remote relocation of said voltage source with respect to said detecting means.