[Ifeffit] Transmission EXAFS sample

[Jatinkumar Rana]

Dear all,

I have very basic question about the sample preparation for EXAFS. It is 
well understood and proven by several researchers that the optimum 
amount of sample (per unit area) required for EXAFS is determined by the 
fact that the total absorbtion of the entire sample above the absorption 
edge (of interest) should be between 2 to 2.5, more precisely, it should 
be 2.3.

The reason which forces me to put this question to a mailing list is 
that, i treat my sample through a process which yields only few 
percentage of the total amount of sample required for EXAFS. I would 
prefer to measure EXAFS in transmission mode with samples prepared on 
several layers of Kapton tape which are bound together to ensure pinhole 
free sample.

My questions are :

-- Can my sample be only few percentage of the "actual amount" (i.e. 
calculated based on above fact) required, and still i can perform 
transmission EXAFS ? How would this affect my data ? (I guess, it will 
be heavily dominated by noise)

-- What if, i have required amount of sample but since material's 
density is so high that it yields only small volume of powder (for a 
given weight), that it can not be covered up on multiple layers of 
Kapton tape to ensure pinhole-free sample ?

I look forward to any comments or suggestions as this would help me 
improvise the quality of my data.

With best regards,
Jatin

-- 
Jatinkumar Rana

Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie GmbH
Institut für angewandte Materialforschung
FI-1 Mikrostruktur

Hahn-Meitner-Platz 1
D-14109 Berlin Germany
Tel: +49 30 8062-43217
Fax: +49 30 8062-43059
eMail: jatinkumar.rana at helmholtz-berlin.de

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