Intro: GeoPIXE: Importing spectra from raw blog files

When you want to look at raw XRF data for the first time after you collect it, you will need to use the Spectrum Display window in GeoPIXE to import the spectra. (You can’t use the “Load SPEC” option until you import the raw data for the first time, which translates the raw blog files (data.0, etc.) into a .spec file.) You will need to perform a flux/charge (Q/flux) calibration before you can quantitatively import your spectra. You will also need to know the pre-detector ion chamber sensitivity during your experiment. You may wish to use a Maia checklist to keep track of your experiments at the beamline.

Video

Steps

1. In the Spectrum Display window, go to File > Import > Spectra.

2. For CHESS Maia data, choose "Synchrotron," "Maia 384/96", and "Extract from Maia-384/96- corrected blog files." Click OK.

3. Load the first (*.0) and last raw blog files in the experiment you wish to import.

4. Set the output path to a reasonable folder in your analysis directory.

5. In the Flux PV Select window, the IC scaler channel is almost always FC0. Set the preamp sensitivity and scale units, dwell time, and Q/flux conversion to the correct values for your experiment.

6. Connect to the cluster if desired, then click OK. Your spectra should load in the Spectrum Display window.

7. To view only the energy spectra, go to "Select" in the lower left of the Spectrum Display window. In the Spectrum Select window that opens up, click "Delete: all XYT." The convention at CHESS is to save these energy spectra as "*-E.spec" in the appropriate analysis folder.

-- LouisaSmieska - 02 May 2016