A study of K shell X-ray intensity ratios of NixCr1−x alloys in external magnetic field and determination of effective atomic numbers of these alloys

• The external magnetic field effect on the K X-ray intensity ratios of some Ni–Cr alloys is investigated.
• The changes on Kβ/Kα X-ray intensity ratios of the alloys are observed depending on concentrations of the elements constituting the alloys and external magnetic field intensity.
• The Ze is depending on the concentrations of the elements constituting the alloys

In this study, the effect of external magnetic field on the Kβ/Kα X-ray intensity ratios of various alloy compositions of Ni–Cr transition metal alloys has been investigated. The Kα and Kβ emission spectra of Ni, Cr and NixCr1−x (x=0.40; 0.50; 0.60; 0.80) alloys were measured by using a Si (Li) solid-state detector. Kβ/Kα X-ray intensity ratios of Ni, Cr and NixCr1−x alloys without magnetic field and in 0.5 and 1 T external magnetic field have been measured following excitation by 59.5 keV γ-rays from a 200 mCi241Am radioisotope point source. When the experimental data obtained in external magnetic field have been compared with data without external magnetic field, deviations have been observed in Kβ/Kα X-ray intensity ratios for Ni and Cr in different alloy compositions. Thus, results of these measurements have shown that Kβ/Kα X-ray intensity ratios of Ni and Cr in NixCr1−x alloys are dependent on the external magnetic field. Also the total mass attenuation coefficients for pure 3d transition metals and their alloys at different compositions were measured and theoretically estimated using mixture rule for selected photon energy. Later on, total atomic and electronic cross-sections and effective atomic number for alloys are determined experimentally and theoretically using these mass attenuation coefficients. When these parameters are examined depending on the alloy compositions, thereof have been found to vary with the alloy composition.