Application of transition-edge sensors for micro-X-ray fluorescence measurements and micro-X-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy: a case study of uranium speciation in biotite obtained from a uranium mine

Takumi Yomogida; Tadashi Hashimoto; Takuma Okumura; Shinya Yamada; Hideyuki Tatsuno; Hirofumi Noda; Ryota Hayakawa; Shinji Okada; Sayuri Takatori; Tadaaki Isobe; Takahiro Hiraki; Toshiki Sato; Yuichi Toyama; Yuto Ichinohe; Oki Sekizawa; Kiyofumi Nitta; Yuichi Kurihara; Shigeru Fukushima; Tomoya Uruga; Yoshihiro Kitatsuji; Yoshio Takahashi

doi:10.1039/D4AN00059E

Application of transition-edge sensors for micro-X-ray fluorescence measurements and micro-X-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy: a case study of uranium speciation in biotite obtained from a uranium mine†

Takumi Yomogida,

*^ab Tadashi Hashimoto,

^c Takuma Okumura,

ⁿ Shinya Yamada,

^e Hideyuki Tatsuno,

^d Hirofumi Noda,

^f Ryota Hayakawa,

^o Shinji Okada,

^p Sayuri Takatori,

^h Tadaaki Isobe,

ⁱ Takahiro Hiraki,

^h Toshiki Sato,

^j Yuichi Toyama,

^g Yuto Ichinohe,

ⁱ Oki Sekizawa,^k Kiyofumi Nitta,^k Yuichi Kurihara,

^l Shigeru Fukushima,^m Tomoya Uruga,

^k Yoshihiro Kitatsuji

^a and Yoshio Takahashi

*^b

Author affiliations

* Corresponding authors

^a Nuclear Science and Engineering Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Naka-gun, Ibaraki, Japan
E-mail: yomogida.takumi@jaea.go.jp

^b Department of Earth and Planetary Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
E-mail: ytakaha@eps.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp

^c Advanced Science Research Center (ASRC), Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), Naka-gun, Ibaraki, Japan

^d Department of Physics, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan

^e Department of Physics, Rikkyo University, Toshima-ku, Tokyo, Japan

^f Department of Earth and Space Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka, Japan

^g Engineering Science Laboratory, Chubu University, Kasugai, Aichi, Japan

^h Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Okayama University, Okayama, Okayama, Japan

ⁱ RIKEN Nishina Center, RIKEN, Wako, Saitama, Japan

^j Department of Physics, Meiji University, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan

^k Center for Synchrotron Radiation Research, Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute (JASRI), Sayo, Hyogo, Japan

^l Nagaoka University of Technology, Nagaoka, Niigata, Japan

^m Ningyo-toge Environmental Engineering Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Tomata-gun, Okayama, Japan

ⁿ Department of Chemistry, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan

^o International Center for Quantum-field Measurement Systems for Studies of the Universe and Particles (QUP), KEK, 1-1 Oho, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0801, Japan

^p Department of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Chubu University, Kasugai, Aichi, Japan

Abstract

In this study, we successfully applied a transition-edge sensor (TES) spectrometer as a detector for microbeam X-ray measurements from a synchrotron X-ray light source in the hard X-ray region to determine uranium (U) distribution at the micro-scale and its chemical species in biotite obtained from a U mine. It is difficult to separate the fluorescent X-ray of the U Lα₁ line at 13.615 keV from that of the Rb Kα line at 13.395 keV in the X-ray fluorescence spectrum with an energy resolution of approximately 220 eV using a conventional silicon drift detector (SDD). Meanwhile, the fluorescent X-rays of U Lα₁ and Rb Kα were fully separated by a TES with 50 eV energy resolution at an energy of around 13 keV. The successful peak separation by the TES led to an accurate mapping analysis of trace U in micro-X-ray fluorescence measurements and a decrease in the signal-to-background ratio in micro-X-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy. Thus, it could be a powerful tool for studying the U distribution and speciation in various environmental samples.

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Application of transition-edge sensors for micro-X-ray fluorescence measurements and micro-X-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy: a case study of uranium speciation in biotite obtained from a uranium mine†

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Application of transition-edge sensors for micro-X-ray fluorescence measurements and micro-X-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy: a case study of uranium speciation in biotite obtained from a uranium mine

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