A step toward standardization: Development of accurate measurements of X-ray absorption and fluorescence

Abstract

This paper explains how to take the counting precision available for XAFS (X-ray absorption fine structure) and attenuation measurements, of perhaps one part in 106 in special cases, to produce a local variance below 0.01% and an accuracy of attenuation of the order 0.01%, with an XAFS accuracy at a similar level leading to the determination of dynamical bond lengths to an accuracy similar to that obtained by standard and experienced crystallographic measurements. This includes the necessary corrections for the detector response to be linear, including a correction for dark current and air-path energy dependencies; a proper interpretation of the range of sample thicknesses for absorption exp..