Feasibility of photoelectron sources with sharp lines of stable energy between 20 and 80 keV

Abstract Photo-absorption of γ -rays in thin Al, Co, Ti, and Mo convertors was examined with the aim to produce quasi monoenergetic photoelectrons having an energy spread of 0.5–4.7 eV about mean kinetic energies at discrete values between 18632 and 80321 eV. The photoelectron rates were estimated for commercial photon sources of 241 Am, 119m Sn, 125m Te and 109 Cd with activities of 0.55–3.7 GBq. Photoelectrons ejected by 241 Am γ ‐ and X-rays from Co convertors were measured with two different electron spectrometers and obtained energy spectra were compared with Monte Carlo predictions.