Effect of crystal structure on K shell binding energy of lead, mercury and tungsten using bremsstrahlung radiation

Abstract The K shell binding energies of lead, mercury, and tungsten in their pure elemental form and in some of their compounds have been measured for the first time by adopting a novel method. The method involves a weak beta source, an external bremsstrahlung converter, element and compound targets, and a high-resolution, high-purity germanium detector coupled to 16K multichannel analyzer. Continuous external bremsstrahlung photons produced by the interaction of beta particles from a 90Sr-90Y radioactive source with an iron foil are allowed to pass through the elemental and compound targets of lead, mercury, and tungsten. The spectrum of transmitted external bremsstrahlung photons is measured with a high-resolution high purity germanium detector spectrometer. The transmitted spectrum shows a sudden drop in intensity at K shell binding energy of the target. Such a sudden drop, which is due to the onset of the K shell photoelectric effect, has been used to determine the K shell binding energies. It has been investigated that the shifts in the K shell binding energies due to chemical environment of lead, mercury, and tungsten atoms is attributed to crystal structure.