Image: CAMPOS, P.H.O.V

The technique of X-Ray Fluorescence (ED-XRF) has already been successfully used for the characterization of archaeological and art objects, and its principles are now well established in the literature. Using excitation sources such as X-ray tubes or radioactive sources emitting X-rays or gamma rays, which provide adequate energy to cause the photoelectric effect, one can induce electronic transitions in the inner levels of atoms with the consequent characteristic X-Ray emission, similar to PIXE process. The difference between the two methods is the excitation source of the sample elements, which in the case of PIXE, it uses a beam of ions and in case of ED-XF, it uses a source of X-ray or gamma.