Monte Carlo simulation in electron probe microanalysis.: Comparison of different simulation algorithms

Practical aspects of Monte Carlo simulation of EPMA experiments are considered. Simulations are performed using the general-purpose Monte Carlo code system Penelope, which is briefly described. This code includes geometry tools and variance reduction methods that allow the practical simulation of x-ray spectra from samples with complex geometries in moderate computing times. The reliability of simple interaction models and approximations, which have been frequently used in EPMA studies, is analyzed by studying their effects on the simulated x-ray spectra.