METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ANALYSIS OF OBJECTS

• US 20180209925A1
• Filed: 01/23/2018
• Published: 07/26/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Institut national de la recherche scientifique, Università della Calabria
• Original Assignee: Institut national de la recherche scientifique, Universita Della Calabria University of Calabria
• Inventors: ANTICI, PATRIZIO, BARBERIO, MARIANNA
• Granted Patent: US 10,705,036 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2223/615 composite materials, multilayer laminates
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/2257 Measuring excited X-rays, i.e. particle-induced X-ray emission [PIXE]

Abstract

A spectroscopy method and system, the method comprising irradiating an object with a laser-accelerated particle beam and detecting photons emitted by the object as a result of the interaction between the laser-accelerated particle beam and the object. The system comprises a laser; a particle source, positioned at a distance from the object; and a spectrometer and a detector; wherein the particle source generates a laser-accelerated particle beam under irradiation by the laser; and the spectrometer and the detector detect photons emitted from the object under irradiation by the laser-accelerated particle beam.

Claims

1. A spectroscopy method, comprising irradiating an object with a laser-accelerated particle beam and detecting photons emitted by the object as a result of the interaction between the laser-accelerated particle beam and the object.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising positioning a particle source at a distance from the object, and generating the laser-accelerated particle beam by irradiating the particle source with a laser.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising positioning a particle source at a distance from the object, and generating the laser-accelerated particle beam by irradiating the particle source with a laser, wherein the distance between the particle source and the object is selected based on at least one of:

i) a particle yield of the interaction, and ii) the melting point of the material of the object.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said detecting the photons comprises collecting the photons using a spectrometer and a detector.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said detecting the photons comprises collecting the photons using a spectrometer, the method comprising selecting an energy range of the spectrometer according to an emitting spectrum of the object.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said detecting the photons comprises using a detector, the method comprising selecting a sensibility of the detector for detection of the emitted photons within a determined number of shots.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the particle source is one of:

a solid target;

a gaseous target;

a cryogenic target; and

a microstructured target.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising tuning the particle flux impinging on the object.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting a fraction of the laser-accelerated particle beam around a tunable central energy.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising selecting a high-power short-pulse laser.

11. The method of claim 1, comprising selecting a high energy, low repetition laser.

12. The method of claim 1, comprising selecting a low energy, high repetition laser.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising analyzing the spectrum of the photons.

14. A system for spectroscopy of an object, comprising:

a laser;

a particle source, positioned at a distance from the object; and

a spectrometer and a detector;

wherein the particle source generates a laser-accelerated particle beam under irradiation by said laser; and

the spectrometer and the detector detect photons emitted from the object under irradiation by the laser-accelerated particle beam.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising an energy selector within the laser-accelerated particle beam.

16. The system of claim 14, further comprising a focusing optic between the laser-accelerated proton beam and the object.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the laser is a high-power laser able to produce an intensity on the particle source of at least 10¹⁵ W/m² in a pulse duration of at most 1 ns.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein said laser is one of:

a high-power short-pulse laser;

a high energy, low repetition laser; and

a low energy, high repetition laser.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein said particle source is one of:

a solid target;

a gaseous target;

a cryogenic target; and

a microstructured target.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the distance between the particle source and the object is selected based on at least one of:

i) a particle yield of the interaction, and ii) the melting point of the material of the object.