A didactic proposal about Rutherford backscattering spectrometry with theoretic, experimental, simulation and application activities

Rutherford backscattering spectrometry is a nuclear analysis technique widely used for materials science investigation. Despite the strict technical requirements to perform the data acquisition, the interpretation of a spectrum is within the reach of general physics students. The main phenomena occurring during a collision between helium ions—with energy of a few MeV—and matter are: elastic nuclear collision, elastic scattering, and, in the case of non-surface collision, ion stopping. To interpret these phenomena, we use classical physics models: material point elastic collision, unscreened Coulomb scattering, and inelastic energy loss of ions with electrons, respectively. We present the educational proposal for Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, within the framework of the model of educational reconstruction, following a rationale that links basic physics concepts with quantities for spectra analysis. This contribution offers the opportunity to design didactic specific interventions suitable for undergraduate and secondary school students.