Guides, Databases, Resources

Detection limits; optical scanning; X-ray maps; JEOL and CAMECA databases; X-ray lines and edges

• Formulas for limit of detection (pdf)

• Optical scanning of thin sections should be done at the Digital Imaging Facility, prior to analysis

• Colouring X-ray maps: method for applying pseudo-colours to X-ray maps using ImageJ (pdf)
  • ImageJ macro (filename: colorXray.macro); converts series of grayscale (.tif) images to colour files; please open this file in a text editor to see more comments
• Rotating and Merging X-ray maps: method for merging X-ray maps using Photoshop (pdf)
• X-ray Mapping in Electron-Beam Instruments (Friel and Lyman, 2006)
• GSC Open File 4941: The measurement of the modal mineralogy of rocks from SEM imagery: the use of Multispec © and ImageJ freeware, by J.W. Lydon (2005)
• Image Analysis in Earth Sciences (Heilbronner and Barrett, 2014, 520 p.)

• JEOL microprobe database; CAMECA microprobe database (UMass); includes
  • determination of X-ray interferences
  • X-ray lines
  • calculation of mineral formulas
  • oxide-element-formula conversions
  • and much more....
  • Literature reference (Allaz 2013) for these databases (De-MA)

• JEOL manuals: Zurich (JXA-8230); New Mexico (JXA-8200); USGS (JXA-8900); CalTech (JXA-733)

• EPMA-Method Development Tool (Sandrin Feig, University of Tasmania)

• Probe for EPMA Online Manual (Washington University in St. Louis)

• Compilation of X-ray emission lines and absorption edges (pdf)

• Conversions of X-ray units (Excel) 

• Calculation of Mean Atomic Number (Excel)