ION-BEAM ANALYSIS OF FLUORINE - ITS PRINCIPLES AND APPLICATIONS

I review the nuclear reactions which are suitable for ion beam analysis of fluorine in materials and for profiling fluorine in the outer few mu-m. The F-19(p, alpha-gamma)O-16 and F-19(p, p')F-19 reactions have proved the most suitable. The remarkable crystal structure of calcium hydroxyapatite, which encourages the uptake of fluoride ions during the formation or subsequent changes to a bone or tooth, results in important applications of the scanning proton microprobe. I describe applications of these techniques in research on teeth and bones, materials science, geochemistry and archaeometry.