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Updated: May 30, 2026

Scattering And Absorption of Light in Planetary Regoliths
Published on: July 1, 2019
Elastic scattering of 200 keV electrons in elemental solids: experimental observation of atomic-number-dependent
Konstantin Iakoubovskii1, Kazutaka Mitsuishi
1Quantum Dot Research Center, National Institute for Materials Science, 3-13 Sakura, Tsukuba 305-0005, Japan.
Abstract:
Mean free path of elastic electron scattering λ(el) has been measured with a 200 keV transmission electron microscope for a wide range of stable elemental solids. An oscillating behavior versus atomic number Z has been revealed, such that, within one row of the periodic table, λ(el) exhibits minimum (maximum) for elements with completed (empty) outer d shells. These λ(el)(Z) oscillations are attributed to Z dependence of the atomic density, and their importance for the interpretation of electron microscope images is demonstrated.
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