Focal construct geometry for high-intensity x-ray diffraction from laser-shocked polycrystalline

Conical shell illumination incorporating a moving aperture for depth-resolved high-energy X-ray diffraction

In many applications, the main limitation of X-ray absorption methods is that the signals measured are a function of the attenuation coefficient, which tells us almost nothing about the chemical or crystallographic nature of objects under inspection. To calculate fundamental crystallographic parameters requires the measurement of diffracted photons from a sample. Standard laboratory diffraction methods have been refined for well over a century and provide 'gold standard' structural models for well-prepared samples and single crystals but have little applicability for thick heterogeneous samples as demanded by many screening applications. We present a new high-energy X-ray diffraction probe, which in comparison with previous depth-resolving hollow beam techniques, requires a single beam, point detector and a simple swept aperture to resolve sample signatures at unknown locations within an inspection space. We perform Monte Carlo simulations to support experiments on both single- and multiple-material localisation and identification. The new probe is configured and tested using low-cost commercial components to provide a rapid and cost-effective solution for applications including explosives detection, process control and diagnostics.

The effect of copper grain size on laser ultrasonic backscattered signal

Grain size has an essential influence on the serviceability of metallic materials. In this paper, a noncontact laser ultrasonic testing platform is built to study the effect of copper grain size on the laser ultrasonic backscattered signal. According to the correlation between grain size and ultrasonic wavelength, the ultrasonic scattering by copper grains in the experiment contains not only Rayleigh scattering but also the transition region from Rayleigh scattering to stochastic scattering. Using time-frequency analysis, the influence of copper grain size on the characteristic parameters of backscattering was explored, and a prediction model of grain size was established, which was compared with the prediction model based on the attenuation method to verify the accuracy of the backscattering model. The results show that the backscattered signal can adequately characterize the grain size information and laser ultrasonics is a method that can realize on-line detection of grain size.

Iterative diffraction pattern retrieval from a single focal construct geometry image

Understanding the crystal structure of materials under extreme conditions of pressure and temperature has been revolutionized by major advances in laser-driven dynamic compression and in situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) technology. Instead of the well known Debye–Scherrer configuration, the focal construct geometry (FCG) was introduced to produce high-intensity diffraction data from laser-based in situ XRD experiments without increasing the amount of laser energy, but the resulting reflections suffered from profoundly asymmetrical broadening, leading to inaccuracy in determination of the crystal structure. Inspired by fast-neutron energy spectrum measurements, proposed here is an iterative retrieval method for recovering diffraction data from a single FCG image. This iterative algorithm restores both the peak shape and relative intensity with rapid convergence and requires no prior knowledge about the expected diffraction pattern, allowing the FCG to increase the in situ XRD intensity while simultaneously preserving the angular resolution. The feasibility and validity of the method are shown by successful recovery of the diffraction pattern from both a single simulated FCG image and a single laser-based nanosecond XRD measurement.