text: In the energy range used in CEMS, the incident radiation can interact with the absorber through two kinds of processes: (a) conventional interactions – photoelectric and Compton effects, and (b) nuclear resonant absorption – Mössbauer effect. Due to conventional interactions the beam is attenuated and electrons are emitted from the sample. The nuclear de-excitation following the resonant absorption takes place by emission of either a gamma ray or an internal conversion (IC) electron. In the latter case, the atom is left in an ‘excited’ state with a hole in an inner shell; the energy excess is given away with emission of Auger electrons and/or X-rays. Thus, the electrons emitted from the sample as a consequence of the Mössbauer absorptions are: (a) primary (IC or Auger) electrons originated in the de-excitations of the nuclei excited by the incident beam, and (b) secondary electrons originated by conventional interactions of photons (or resonant absorption of gamma rays) emitted after resonant absorptions.