From its early days in the 1950s, the electron microanalyzer has offered two principal ways of obtaining x-ray spectra: wavelength dispersive spectrometry (WDS), which utilizes crystal diffraction, and energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS), in which the x-ray quantum energy is measured directly. In general, WDS offers much better peak separation for complex line spectra, whereas EDS gives a higher collection efficiency and is easier and cheaper to use. Both techniques have undergone major transformations since those early days, from the simple focusing spectrometerand gas proportional counter of the 1950s to the advanced semiconductor detectors and programmable spectrometersoftoday. Becauseofthesedevelopments, thecapabilities and relative merits of EDS and WDS techniques have been a recurring feature of microprobeconferences for nearly40 years, and this volume bringstogetherthepapers presented at the Chuck Fiori Memorial Symposium, held at the Microbeam Analysis Society Meeting of 1993. Several themes are apparent in this rich and authoritative collection of papers, which have both a historical and an up-to-the-minute dimension. Light element analysis has long been a goal of microprobe analysts since Ray Dolby first detected K radiation with a gas proportional counter in 1960. WDS techniques (using carbon lead stearate films) were not used for this purpose until four years later. Now synthetic multilayers provide the best dispersive elements for quantitative light element analy sis-still used in conjunction with a gas counter.

With the emphasis on visual aspects by including numerous charts, tables, and illustrations, this handbook presents practical information on oil and foundation engineering. A distinguished team of engineers takes the reader step by step through site development, soil mechanics, and foundation design analysis and construction techniques. New material is added on grouting foundation repair, forensic investigations, and residential and light construction procedures. 750 illus.

Comprehensive theoretical and experimental analysis of UV-radiation and low energy electron induced phenomena in nucleic acid bases (NABs) and base assemblies are presented in this book. NABs are highly photostable; the absorbed energy is dissipated in the form of ultrafast nonradiative decay. This book highlights the possible mechanisms of these phenomena which is important for all living species and discusses technical challenges in exploration of these processes.

The third edition of Introduction to Environmental Forensics is a state-of-the-art reference for the practicing environmental forensics consultant, regulator, student, academic, and scientist, with topics including compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA), advanced multivariate statistical techniques, surrogate approaches for contaminant source identification and age dating, dendroecology, hydrofracking, releases from underground storage tanks and piping, and contaminant-transport modeling for forensic applications. Recognized international forensic scientists were selected to author chapters in their specific areas of expertise and case studies are included to illustrate the application of these methods in actual environmental forensic investigations. This edition provides updates on advances in various techniques and introduces several new topics. - Provides a comprehensive review of all aspects of environmental forensics - Coverage ranges from emerging statistical methods to state-of-the-art analytical techniques, such as gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry and polytopic vector analysis - Numerous examples and case studies are provided to illustrate the application of these forensic techniques in environmental investigations