Spectrum unfolding in X-ray spectrometry using the maximum entropy method

The solution of the unfolding problem is an ever-present issue in X-ray spectrometry. The maximum entropy technique solves this problem by taking advantage of some known a priori physical information and by ensuring an outcome with only positive values. This method is implemented in MAXED (MAXimum Entropy Deconvolution), a software code contained in the package UMG (Unfolding with MAXED and GRAVEL) developed at PTB and distributed by NEA Data Bank. This package contains also the code GRAVEL (used to estimate the precision of the solution). This article introduces the new code UMESTRAT (Unfolding Maximum Entropy STRATegy) which applies a semi-automatic strategy to solve the unfolding problem by using a suitable combination of MAXED and GRAVEL for applications in X-ray spectrometry. Some examples of the use of UMESTRAT are shown, demonstrating its capability to remove detector artifacts from the measured spectrum consistently with the model used for the detector response function (DRF).

► A new strategy to solve the unfolding problem in X-ray spectrometry is presented.
► The presented strategy uses a suitable combination of the codes MAXED and GRAVEL.
► The applied strategy provides additional information on the Detector Response Function.
► The code UMESTRAT is developed to apply this new strategy in a semi-automatic mode.