Measurement of proton inelastic scattering cross sections on fluorine

Differential cross-sections for proton inelastic scattering on fluorine, 19F(p,p’)19F, from the first five excited levels of 19F at 110, 197, 1346, 1459 and 1554 keV were measured for beam energies from 3 to 7 MeV at a scattering angle of 150 using a LiF thin target (50 lg/cm2) evaporated on a self-supporting C thin film (30 lg/cm2). Absolute differential cross-sections were calculated with a method not depen- dent on the absolute values of collected beam charge and detector solid angle. The validity of the mea- sured inelastic scattering cross sections was then tested by successfully reproducing EBS spectra collected from a thick Teflon (CF2) target. As a practical application of these measured inelastic scattering cross sections in elastic backscattering spectroscopy (EBS), the feasibility of quantitative light element (C, N and O) analysis in aerosol particulate matter samples collected on Teflon by EBS measurements and spectra simulation is demonstrated.