XRF 030723 is the first X-ray flash (XRF) to show in its optical light curve (LC) a bump that has been interpreted as the signature of a supernova (SN). After subtracting the afterglow component from the observed optical LC of the XRF counterpart, the properties of the SN are constrained by means of synthetic LCs of core-collapse SNe. For the range of redshift suggested for XRF 030723 (z ∼ 0.3 ...

PURPOSE Developing an imaging method to directly monitor the spatial distribution of platinum-based (Pt) drugs at the tumor region is of critical importance for early assessment of treatment efficacy and personalized treatment. In this study, the authors investigated the feasibility of imaging platinum (Pt)-based drug distribution using x-ray fluorescence (XRF, a.k.a. characteristic x ray) CT (...

The purpose of this unit is to introduce the fundamental principles of x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF), apply this method to the analysis of simulated data for heavy metals in suspended particulate and sediment samples from Lake Nakuru and critically contrast XRF with alternative methods for determination of heavy metal concentrations. The content is appropriate for students in a course i...

Solid/liquid interfaces are important locations for various chemical reactions, such as electrode chemical reactions and metal corrosions. Conventional surface analytical methods, such as XPS and SEM-EDS, have been applied to solid materials after being removed from the liquid phase. These methods do not involve direct observation, although useful information is available. It is important to di...

High energy synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence (SR-XRF) spectra for the forensic analysis of Wakayama arsenic poisoning case, Japan, were revisited. The spectra were measured at SPring-8 synchrotron facility by Nakai in December 1998 and Mo, Sn, Sb, and Bi were used as index elements at that time to demonstrate that the suspected saleswoman’s pesticide and that found near the curry pot we...

XRF (X-ray fluorescence) is a powerful technique for elemental analysis with a high sensitivity. The resolution is presently limited by the size of the primary excitation X-ray beam. A test-bed for confocal-type XRF has been developed to estimate the ultimate lateral resolution which could be reached in chemical mapping using this technique. A polycapillary lens is used to tightly focus the pri...

The development of highly efficient X-ray optics has allowed the development of bench-top XRF systems which have high intensity X-ray beams with diameters ranging from 10 micrometres through to a few millimetres. Coupled with integrated high magnification optical cameras, these systems are ideally suited to the needs of the forensic scientist. A microscopic particle from a crime scene can be an...

— We present Chandra and VLT observations of the X−Ray Flash XRF 040812. The X−ray analysis reveals with high precision the position of a hard, fading source. A careful analysis of our I−band VLT images taken starting 17 hours after the burst led to the discovery of the optical afterglow superimposed to a bright (I = 21.5) host galaxy. The optical afterglow is seen decaying with an index of 1.1...