Charging effects in thick insulating samples

In this paper we analyse the effects observed in X-ray spectra when thick insulating targets are irradiated with beams of light charged particles. Preliminary results show that the background yield due to charge buildup on mylar is larger for protons than for lithium ions, suggesting that particles with low energy loss tend to generate more background. Residual activity has been observed in several thick samples like resin, quartz and mylar. Two methods for suppressing the background due to charging effects have been studied. The first one was based on the use of a transverse magnetic field. The second one made use of a simple electric lamp of 6 V with its glass bulb removed. While the first method proved to be inefficient, the second one eliminated most of the background due to charge buildup in the sample.