Development of non destructive elemental analyses of bulk samples using techniques derived from atomic and nuclear physics

了解物体的基本内容可能是至关重要的。例如，一个人骨骼中的铅量提供了关于他们接触铅的历史的信息。一幅画中颜料的元素轮廓可以决定它是什么时候画的，或许还能确定它是否是真品。对于分析人或独特的文物，测量必须不损害对象，也就是说，它必须是非破坏性的。在麦克马斯特，我们专门开发非破坏性测量大块样品元素含量的方法。使用的两种主要方法是X射线荧光法和中子活化法。这项提议在开发一种非破坏性的测量铀的方法方面开辟了新的天地，例如在骨骼中。我们还将检查中子活化和x射线荧光来测量硒，这在少量是必不可少的。这两种方法都很有前景，我们需要彻底调查，以确定哪种方法最好，在什么情况下是最好的。对于其他一些元素，例如镉和Gd，我们将在以前工作的基础上改进测量系统，以便检测通过环境暴露的低水平累积，如镉，或用作磁共振成像造影剂后的残留保留，如Gd。*这些技术是应用于物理学的。然而，整个研究是多学科的，因为开发这项技术的物理学家与环境科学家和健康科学研究人员密切合作，应用这些方法来了解更多具体情况。我们以前的大多数应用领域都与人类健康有关，但这些方法也可以应用于其他领域，如文物检查，或评估潜在的非法材料或威胁检测。*利用这种设备进行的大多数新研究将由研究生和其他高素质的培训人员进行。这将为这些学生提供增强他们的研究经验的机会，并为他们随后在工业、政府科学、医疗保健技术和学术界担任领导角色做好准备。**

Knowing the elemental content of an object can be vitally important. For example, the amount of lead in a person's bone gives information about their history of exposure to lead. The elemental profile of the pigments in a painting can determine when it was painted and perhaps whether it is genuine. For analysis of people or unique cultural artifacts, it is essential that the measurement not harm the object, that is, it must be non destructive. At McMaster, we specialise in developing methods of measuring elemental content of bulk samples non destructively. The two main methods used are x-ray fluorescence and neutron activation.******This proposal breaks new ground in developing a non destructive method of measuring uranium, for example in bone. We shall also examine both neutron activation and x-ray fluorescence to measure selenium, which is essential in small quantities. Both methods show promise, we need to investigate thoroughly to determine which is best and in which circumstances. For some other elements, for example cadmium and gadolinium we shall be building on our previous work to improve measurement systems, in order to detect low level accumulation through environmental exposure, in the case of cadmium, or the residual retention following use as a contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging, in the case of gadolinium.******The techniques are applied physics. However, the overall research is multidisciplinary, because the physicists who develop the technique work closely with environmental scientists and health science investigators to apply these methods to learn more about specific situations. Most of our previous areas of application have concerned human health, but the methods can be applied in other areas, such as examination of cultural artifacts, or in assessing potential illicit materials or in threat detection.******Most of the new research with this equipment will be carried out by graduate students and other highly qualified personnel in training. This will provide opportunities for these students to enhance their research experience and prepare them for their subsequent leadership roles in industry, government science, health care technology and academia.**