An experimental method for ripple minimization in transmission data for industrial X-ray computed tomography imaging system

Industrial Computed Tomographic (ICT) imaging systems based on X-rays require a high stability source. This emanates from the fact that in a computed tomographic imaging system, statistical variation inherent in the penetrating radiation used to probe the specimen, electronic noise generated in the detection system and reconstruction errors play an important role in the overall quality of the image. A conventional industrial X-ray machine used for routine radiography work is not suitable for tomographic imaging applications because of its output dose variations. In this paper, an experiment is described to utilise a general-purpose 160 kV constant potential industrial X-ray machine with significant ripple in its output beam, in an experimental Computed Industrial Tomographic Imaging System (CITIS) developed at Isotope Applications Division of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre. Studies carried out include the analysis of temporal profile of X-ray beam intensity and online averaging of detected signals for the minimization of periodic ripple, which mainly showed up, at the power line frequency. A tomographic image of a typical specimen, reconstructed with the processed projection data is analysed. It was observed that the mean value of reconstructed linear absorption coefficients and standard deviation computed over a window within a constant density region of the object were stable     

Going beyond histology. Synchrotron micro-computed tomography as a methodology for biological tissue characterization: from tissue morphology to individual cells

Current light microscopic methods such as serial sectioning, confocal microscopy or multiphoton microscopy are severely limited in their ability to analyse rather opaque biological structures in three dimensions, while electron optical methods offer either a good three-dimensional topographic visualization (scanning electron microscopy) or high-resolution imaging of very thin samples (transmission electron microscopy). However, sample preparation commonly results in a significant alteration and the destruction of the three-dimensional integrity of the specimen. Depending on the selected photon energy, the interaction between X-rays and biological matter provides semi-transparency of the specimen, allowing penetration of even large specimens. Based on the projection-slice theorem, angular projections can be used for tomographic imaging. This method is well developed in medical and materials science for structure sizes down to several micrometres and is considered as being non-destructive. Achieving a spatial and structural resolution that is sufficient for the imaging of cells inside biological tissues is difficult due to several experimental conditions. A major problem that cannot be resolved with conventional X-ray sources are the low differences in density and absorption contrast of cells and the surrounding tissue. Therefore, X-ray monochromatization coupled with a sufficiently high photon flux and coherent beam properties are key requirements and currently only possible with synchrotron-produced X-rays. In this study, we report on the three-dimensional morphological characterization of articular cartilage using synchrotron-generated X-rays demonstrating the spatial distribution of single cells inside the tissue and their quantification, while comparing our findings to conventional histological techniques.     

Angle density functions for active sensor imaging

A new target density function (TDF) is proposed for active sensor imaging. The TDF, called the angle density function, is studied by utilising the angular distribution of targets at a fixed range. Active sensor imaging based on the angle density function is achieved using a phased array radar system. The phased array system is arranged for stationary radar-stationary target configuration. The imaging algorithm is applied for the whole target area. Instead of pointwise imaging, an approach including the whole target area globally is developed. An advantage of the technique is the use of standard Fourier-based analysis. This makes it possible to use of simple functions for global radar imaging. Although the imaging is accomplished by way of the phased array radars, beamforming is not necessary with the proposed technique.     

Calibration of High-Resolution X-Ray Tomography With Atomic Force Microscopy

For two-dimensional x-ray imaging of thin films, the technique of scanning transmission x-ray microscopy (STXM) has achieved images with feature sizes as small as 40 nm in recent years. However, calibration of three-dimensional tomographic images that are produced with STXM data at this scale has not yet been described in the scientific literature, and the calibration procedure has novel problems that have not been encountered by x-ray tomography carried out at a larger scale. In x-ray microtomography, for example, one always has the option of using optical imaging on a section of the object to verify the x-ray projection measurements; with STXM, on the other hand, the sample features are too small to be resolved by light at optical wavelengths. This fact implies that one must rely on procedures with higher resolution, such as atomic force microscopy (AFM), for the calibration. Such procedures, however, generally depend on a highly destructive sectioning of the sample, and are difficult to interpret because they give surface information rather than depth information. In this article, a procedure for calibration is described that overcomes these limitations and achieves a calibration of an STXM tomography image with an AFM image and a scanning electron microscopy image of the same object.A Ge star-shaped pattern was imaged at a synchrotron with a scanning transmission x-ray microscope. Nineteen high-resolution projection images of 200 × 200 pixels were tomographically reconstructed into a three-dimensional image. Features in two-dimensional images as small as 40 nm and features as small as 80 nm in the three-dimensional reconstruction were resolved. Transverse length scales based on atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, x-ray transmission and tomographic reconstruction agreed to within 10 nm. Toward the center of the sample, the pattern thickness calculated from projection images was (51 ± 15) nm vs (80 ± 52) nm for tomographic reconstruction, where the uncertainties are evaluated at the level of two standard deviations.     

Data from orbiting navigation satellites for tomographic reconstruction

So far, orbiting navigation satellites are the only source for primary data in ionospheric tomography. Phase difference measurements give the input for tomographic reconstruction. Except for a constant, the initial phase difference value, the data can be considered to be the line integral of electron density along the straight line from the satellite to a ground based receiver (“slant electron content”). In ionospheric physics a projection onto the vertical is used: (vertical) electron content (TEC). Many investigations have been based on this quantity alone. This work discusses some of the propeties of the measured data (instrumental and “ionospheric” limitations in section II), and the role of TEC evaluation assumptions (“mean ionospheric height” and initial phase constant, in section III). Some of the problems inherent in ionospheric tomography using orbiting navigation satellites are discussed by means of model calculations (section IV). The models are mathematically defined two-dimensional electron density distributions that are used to calculate the latitude dependence of both slant and vertical TEC. Among others, the model calculations are useful in showing that strongly different electron density distributions can lead to similar electron contents. Tomographic reconstruction would probably not be able to distinguish between the different distributions, which leads to the recommendation to incorporate additional data in the reconstruction process. It is well known, and reflected in the model electron contents, that without additional data tomographic reconstruction is not accurate in height determination. Layer height variations with latitude, however, can have a strong influence on slant and vertical electron content.©1994 John Wiley & Sons Inc     

Application of improved Fourier filters in tomographic measurements of air-water flows

Studies involving tomographic measurements of the density distribution of two-phase flow systems have been reported previously. The reconstruction algorithm used there was the popular convolution backprojection (CBP) method. Recently a theoretical study was completed involving certain error estimates for the CBP algorithm. One of the theorems resulted in some improved Fourier filters. In this article an application is reported of those filters for reconstructing density distributions from a set of tomographic data (for air-water flow) reported earlier.     

Optical phase contrast measurement of ultrasonic fields

This report describes an optical phase contrast imaging technique for the measurement of wide bandwidth ultrasound fields in water. In this method, a collimated optical wavefront (λ_l = 810 nm) impinges on a wide bandwidth ultrasound pulse. The method requires that refractive index perturbations induced by the ultrasound field be sufficiently small. Specifically, on exit from the acoustic field, the phase of the optical wavefront must be proportional to the ray sum of local density taken in the direction of propagation of the incident optical wave. A similar restriction is placed on the dimensions of the ultrasound pulse. Repeated measurement of this phase as the ultrasound field is rotated through 180° about an axis normal to the direction of propagation of the incident optical wave generates the Radon transform of the ultrasonically induced refractive index perturbation. Standard tomographic reconstruction techniques are used to reconstruct the full three-dimensional refractive index perturbation. A simple two-lens imaging system and an optical signal processing element from phase contrast microscopy provide a method of directly measuring an affine function of the desired optical phase for small optical phase shifts. The piezo- and elasto-optic coefficients (the first partial derivatives of refractive index with respect to density and pressure) relate refractive index to density and pressure via a linear model. The optical measurement method described in this paper provides a direct, quantitative measurement of the piezo- and elasto-optic coefficients (from the density or pressure fields)     

Nondestructive defect identification with terahertz time-of-flight tomography

We demonstrate the application of terahertz (THz) time-of-flight tomographic imaging to identify the distribution of defects in foam materials. Based on THz time-domain spectroscopy technology, THz imaging probes targets with picosecond pulses of broad-band radiation in the frequency range from 100 GHz to 3 THz. The reflected THz wave from the target is measured using electrooptic sampling, which provides two-dimensional images with phase and amplitude information, as well as the spectroscopic properties of the object. The depth information is recorded in the THz time-domain waveform. Several reconstruction models are developed for tomographic imaging of defects inside foam. Foam insulation of space shuttle fuel tanks, with prebuilt defects, are investigated with THz tomographic imaging. Most prebuilt defects are pinpointed and models used to identify different kinds of defects are discussed.     

Singular-value analysis and optimization of experimental parameters in fluorescence molecular tomography

The advent of specific molecular markers and probes employing optical reporters has encouraged the application of in vivo diffuse tomographic imaging at greater spatial resolutions and hence data-set volumes. This study applied singular-value analysis (SVA) of the fluorescence tomographic problem to determine optimal source and detector distributions that result in data sets that are balanced between information content and size. Weight matrices describing the tomographic forward problem were constructed for a range of source and detector distributions and fields of view and were decomposed into their associated singular values. These singular-value spectra were then compared so that we could observe the effects of each parameter on imaging performance. The findings of the SVA were then confirmed by examining reconstructions of simulated and experimental data acquired with the same optode distributions as examined by SVA. It was seen that for a 20-mm target width, which is relevant to the small-animal imaging situation, the source and detector fields of view should be set at approximately 30 mm. Equal numbers of sources and detectors result in the best imaging performance in the parallel-plate geometry and should be employed when logistically feasible. These data provide guidelines for the design of small-animal diffuse optical tomographic imaging systems and demonstrate the utility of SVA as a simple and efficient means of optimizing experimental parameters in problems for which a forward model of the data collection process is available.     

Ultrasound in the process industries

The advantages of nondestructive ultrasonic methods for monitoring and speeding process reactions, measuring fluid flow, tomographic imaging etc., open up many applications for the methods in the process industries. This article represents an overview of an IEE colloquium on `Ultrasound in the process industry' held on 23rd September 1993     

Bonding in the “111” Type Ferropnictide Superconductor LiFeAs

Recently the electronic structure and magnetism of the “111” type LiFeAs superconductor has been investigated by first principles calculations based on the density functional theory. It is concluded that the system has a metallic striped anti-ferromagnetic ground state with a very small magnetic moment. Moreover, the effect of electronic correlation effect is also found to be weak. This finding is consistent with recent experiments and calculations on similar compounds. A strong covalent interaction has been suggested as a reason for the weak electron correlation. In this paper, the Fe–As and Fe–Fe interactions are examined from the analysis of the electronic localization function (ELF). Surprisingly, no strong evidence supporting Fe–As and Fe–Fe covalent bonding is found. A more delocalized electron distribution is observed in the Fe layers. Therefore, the Fe 3d electrons are not as localized in the oxides and therefore the electron correlation effect is small. This is a plausible explanation for the apparent success of the local density approximation (LSDA) describing the weak magnetism in LiFeAs.     

Resolution trade‐off analysis for aperture size and signaling bandwidth of diffraction tomography based on spatial‐frequency spectral coverage

The objective of this article is to present the trade‐off analysis of resolving capability of diffraction tomography between aperture size and illumination signal bandwidth based on the span of spatial spectral coverage. The analysis is conducted on both the transmission and reflection modes, and can be generalized into various data acquisition configurations. In addition, the analysis provides an important link to other tomographic imaging modalities such as the classical X‐ray tomography and synthetic aperture radar systems. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Imaging Syst Technol, 19, 1–4, 2009     

A Dedicated On-Board Dual-Energy Computer Tomograph

A dedicated on-board dual energy computer tomograph able to generate both tomographic and digital radiographic images of unconsolidated sediments cores with a diameter up to 12 cm and a height up to 1 m was built and tested on-board of the R/V Mare Nigrum. This instrument, designed to be used on-board of any oceanographic research vessel with minimum adaptations, can work very well on stationary laboratory too, provided that there is adequate protection against hard X-rays. The tomograph has a single 160 kV X-ray tube and two set of 240 in-line X-ray detectors separated by a copper attenuator (dual-energy arrangement) allowing one to obtain tomographic as well as digital radiographic images depicting the distribution of both density and effective atomic number of the objects. In tomographic and radiographic mode, the spatial resolution of reconstructed images of the linear attenuation coefficient is about 0.5 mm while in dual-energy mode, when reconstructed images depict the distribution of densities and effective atomic numbers that requires an additional smoothing filtering, the spatial resolution is about 1 mm.     

Time-varying reconstruction of the ionosphere. 1. The algorithm

Total electron content data can be used to reconstruct images of ionospheric electron density using computed ionospheric tomography (CIT). All existing CIT algorithms are formulated with the assumption that the ionosphere does not move during data collection. Since existing algorithms are static reconstruction algorithms, the motion of the ionosphere becomes a source of image degradation. This article presents a time-varying CIT algorithm that reconstructs several time slices of the ionosphere instead of a single static image. Thus, the new algorithm is not adversely affected by the motion of the ionosphere. The new algorithm uses a priori information on the vertical distribution of ionospheric electron density, but no a priori information on ionospheric motion, so the motion is reconstructed solely on the basis of information contained in the data. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Imaging Syst Technol 9: 484–490, 1998     

UWB Short-Range Bifocusing Tomographic Imaging

In this paper, the capability of ultra-wideband (UWB) sensor arrays for tomographic imaging of electrically large objects in 2-D and 3-D environments is presented. One of the main concerns when imaging extended real objects is the capability of the system to correctly reconstruct the object cross-section electric properties. An imaging method using a UWB multifrequency bifocusing (UWB-MFBF) operator with good tomographic imaging capabilities is presented, and numerical simulations are conducted to obtain the basic geometry and sampling parameters for a good-quality image reconstruction for geometrical and electrical parameters. Canonical-shape experimental reconstructions are performed to validate the established criteria.     

Three-dimensional optical bit-memory recording and reading with a photorefractive crystal: analysis and experiment

We analyze the three-dimensional refractive-index distribution that is induced locally when a laser beam is focused onto a very small region in a photorefractive crystal. The formation of the index distribution is deduced from the temporal behavior of the electron density distribution in the crystal under non-steady-state conditions. The density distribution is computed by the use of a set of the recurrence relations that was derived from Kukhtarev's equations, which describe the transport of electrons in time. In particular, we calculated the index distribution formed in Fe-doped LiNbO(3) crystals. To verify the validity of our analysis, we read, by using a phase-contrast microscope, refractive-index dots that were recorded in Fe-doped LiNbO(3) crystals. A good agreement was obtained between experimental results and the calculated phase-contrast images when the characteristics of the imaging system are taken into account. We also found that the induced index change is largest when the c axis of the LiNbO(3) crystal is oriented parallel to the polarization direction of the reading beam. Under this optimal condition, we succeeded in recording up to 10 layers of readable data in a LiNbO(3) crystal.     

考虑电子热初速分布计算磁聚焦强流电子注的新方法

电子的热初速对强流电子注磁聚焦系统的性能具有重大的影响.本文提出了一种新方法,系统地考虑电子热初速分布和空间电荷效应计算非层流强流电子注聚焦系统;导出了局部正交曲线坐标系中电流密度分布的演化方程;编写了强流电子注磁聚焦的软件,研究了热初速分布对周期磁聚焦电子注电流密度分布及其演化的影响.     

Extended Nijboer-Zernike approach to aberration and birefringence retrieval in a high-numerical-aperture optical system

The judgment of the imaging quality of an optical system can be carried out by examining its through-focus intensity distribution. It has been shown in a previous paper that a scalar-wave analysis of the imaging process according to the extended Nijboer-Zernike theory allows the retrieval of the complex pupil function of the imaging system, including aberrations as well as transmission variations. However, the applicability of the scalar analysis is limited to systems with a numerical aperture (NA) value of the order of 0.60 or less; beyond these values polarization effects become significant. In this scalar retrieval method, the complex pupil function is represented by means of the coefficients of its expansion in a series involving the Zernike polynomials. This representation is highly efficient, in terms of number and magnitude of the required coefficients, and lends itself quite well to matching procedures in the focal region. This distinguishes the method from the retrieval schemes in the literature, which are normally not based on Zernike-type expansions, and rather rely on point-by-point matching procedures. In a previous paper [J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 20, 2281 (2003)] we have incorporated the extended Nijboer-Zernike approach into the Ignatowsky-Richards/Wolf formalism for the vectorial treatment of optical systems with high NA. In the present paper we further develop this approach by defining an appropriate set of functions that describe the energy density distribution in the focal region. Using this more refined analysis, we establish the set of equations that allow the retrieval of aberrations and birefringence from the intensity point-spread function in the focal volume for high-NA systems. It is shown that one needs four analyses of the intensity distribution in the image volume with different states of polarization in the entrance pupil. Only in this way will it be possible to retrieve the "vectorial" pupil function that includes the effects of birefringence induced by the imaging system. A first numerical test example is presented that illustrates the importance of using the vectorial approach and the correct NA value in the aberration retrieval scheme.     

Imaging of near-Earth space plasma

This paper describes the technique of imaging the ionosphere using tomographic principles. It reports on current developments and speculates on the future of this research area. Recent developments in computing and ionospheric measurement, together with the sharing of data via the internet, now allow us to envisage a time when high-resolution, real-time images and 'movies' of the ionosphere will be possible for radio communications planning. There is great potential to use such images for improving our understanding of the physical processes controlling the behaviour of the ionosphere. While real-time images and movies of the electron concentration are now almost possible, forecasting of ionospheric morphology is still in its early stages. It has become clear that the ionosphere cannot be considered as a system in isolation, and consequently new research projects to link together models of the solar-terrestrial system, including the Sun, solar wind, magnetosphere, ionosphere and thermosphere, are now being proposed. The prospect is now on the horizon of assimilating data from the entire solar-terrestrial system to produce a real-time computer model and 'space weather' forecast. The role of tomography in imaging beyond the ionosphere to include the whole near-Earth space-plasma realm is yet to be realized, and provides a challenging prospect for the future. Finally, exciting possibilities exist in applying such methods to image the atmospheres and ionospheres of other planets.     

Dynamic micromagnetic field measurement by stroboscopic electronbeam tomography

A stroboscopic electron beam tomography system for measuring the dynamic micromagnetic field of recording heads is presented. A pulsed electron beam, which is synchronized with the recording head driver, is scanned along the recording head surface from all directions. Integration of the magnetic field intensity along the beam path is calculated from the electron beam deflection angle. Intensity distributions of the dynamic magnetic field are calculated using a tomographic reconstruction algorithm. To obtain enough current even in pulsed electron beam operation, a high-brightness Ti/W thermal field emitter is used. This system was successfully applied in measuring the field distributions of a thin-film recording head, with 0.1 μm spatial resolution and 1 ns time resolution at an operation frequency of 30 MHz