Physics:Water window

From HandWiki
Revision as of 23:18, 5 March 2023 by John Stpola (talk | contribs) (add)
(diff) ← Older revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)

The water window is a region of the electromagnetic spectrum in which water is transparent[clarification needed] to soft x-rays. The window extends from the K-absorption edge of carbon at 282 eV (68 PHz, 4.40 nm wavelength) to the K-edge of oxygen at 533 eV (129 PHz, 2.33 nm wavelength). Water is transparent to these X-rays, but carbon and its organic compounds are absorbing. These wavelengths could be used in an x-ray microscope for viewing living specimens.[1][2] This is technically challenging because few if any viable lens materials are available above extreme ultraviolet.

See also

References

  1. De Stasio, G.; Gilbert, B.; Nelson, T.; Hansen, R.; Wallace, J.; Mercanti, D.; Capozi, M.; Baudat, P. A. et al. (January 2000). "Feasibility tests of transmission x-ray photoelectron emission microscopy of wet samples". Review of Scientific Instruments 71: 11–14. doi:10.1063/1.1150151. Bibcode2000RScI...71...11D. http://home.physics.wisc.edu/gilbert/publications/66.PDF. 
  2. Spielmann, C.; Burnett, N. H.; Sartania, S.; Koppitsch, R.; Schnürer, M.; Kan, C.; Lenzner, M.; Wobrauschek, P. et al. (24 Oct 1997). "Generation of Coherent X-rays in the Water Window Using 5-Femtosecond Laser Pulses". Science 278 (5338): 661–664. doi:10.1126/science.278.5338.661. Bibcode1997Sci...278..661S. 
  • Sebastian Wachsmann-Hogiu; Alexander J Annala; Daniel L Farkas (2004). Colin E. Webb and Julian D. C. Jones. ed. Handbook of Laser Technology and Applications: Applications. IOP Publishing. pp. 2138. ISBN 978-0-7503-0966-0.