Simultaneous x-ray fluorescence spectrometer

An X-ray fluorescence spectrometer for the simultaneous measurement of several spectral X-ray fluorescence lines emitted from a sample, the spectrometer comprising

• several wavelength selectors each selectively supplying light of a certain wavelength from the sample to at least one detector, wherein at least two different wavelength selectors supply X-ray fluorescence light from the sample to the same detector associated to the at least two wavelength selectors,
• wherein the at least one detector is energy-dispersive and has a sufficiently large energy resolution in order to energy-separate the detected X-ray fluorescence light of the various wavelengths from the at least two different associated wavelength selectors,
• wherein at least one wavelength selector comprises an absorbing element such that the X-ray fluorescence intensities transmitted by all wavelength selectors associated with the same detector differ by at most one order of magnitude, and wherein the resolution of the wavelength selectors is higher than the resolution of the associated detectors.

The spectrometer of claim 20, wherein the wavelength selectors are arranged essentially in a plane in the form of a star about an axis between the sample and the detector.