Absorption edge

Other languages

Discontinuité ou arête d'absorption (Fr). Absorptionskante (Ge). Canto de absorción (Sp). край поглощения (Ru)

Definition

An absorption edge is a sharp discontinuity in the absorption spectrum of X-rays by an element that occurs when the energy of the photon corresponds to the energy of a shell of the atom (K, L_I, L_II, L_III, etc.).

Examples

For gallium:

λ_K = 1.1958 Ǻ; λ_LI = 9.5446 Ǻ; λ_LII = 10.8414 Ǻ; λ_LIII = 11.1038 Ǻ;

For arsenic:

λ_K = 1.0448 Ǻ; λ_LI = 8.1195 Ǻ; λ_LII = 9.1187 Ǻ; λ_LIII = 9.3617 Ǻ;

See also

Section 4.2.3 of International Tables of Crystallography, Volume C