We have carried out photon attenuation measurements at several energies in the range from 49.38 keV to 57.96 keV around the K-absorption edges of the rare earth elements Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy and Er using 59.54 keV gamma rays from ²⁴¹Am source after Compton scattering from an aluminium target. Pellets of oxides of the rare earth elements were chosen as mixture absorbers in these investigations. A narrow beam good geometry set-up was used for the attenuation measurements. The scattered gamma rays were detected by an HPGe detector. The results are consistent with theoretical values derived from the XCOM package.

Mass attenuation coefficients ($\mu/\rho$) for Zr, Nb, Mo and Pd elements around their $K$-edges are measured at 14 energies in the range 15.744–28.564 keV using secondary excitation from thin Zr, Nb, Mo, Rh, Pd, Cd and Sn foils. The measurements were carried out at the $K_{\alpha} and $K_{\beta}$ energy values of the target elements by two techniques: (1) Proton-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) and (2) $^{241}$Am (300 mCi) source. In PIXE, 2 MeV proton-excited X-rays were detected by a Si(Li) detector. In the second case, X-rays excited by 59.54 keV photons from the targets were counted by an HPGe detector under a narrow beam good geometry set-up with sufficient shielding. The results are consistent with theoretical values derived from the XCOM package and indicate that the PIXE data have better statistical accuracy.