Available student project - X-ray scatter in 3D microscopes

Research fields

Project details

The ANU CTLab houses several X-ray 3D microscopes, which are used to image samples for a wide variety of clients in industry and academia. These microscopes measure how the sample absorbs and refracts X-rays, and use this information to build detailed, geometrically-faithful 3D models of the sample's internal structure.
 
A small number of X-rays will "ricochet" or "scatter" through large angles as they interact with the sample. This is most significant when imaging very dense, or very large samples: e.g. metal aircraft parts, large 3D printed components, or samples imaged on the CTLab's new "whole core" scanner. If these scattered X-rays collide with the detector, their signal is largely hidden in the random measurement noise. However, because the scattered X-ray *do* possess an underlying structure, they lead to artefacts in the final 3D image of the sample.
 
The student will explore theoretical, numerical, and deep-learning based methods to model the underlying structure of the scatter, and develop methods to correct for its effects, both in-hardware (i.e. at the microscope) and in-software (i.e. during image analysis).
Further information

Required background

  • Mathematics (Fourier transforms, Multivariable calculus, Linear algebra)
  • Physics (Optics/Imaging)
  • Some experience in programming, preferably python.

Project suitability

This research project can be tailored to suit students of the following type(s)

Contact supervisor

Kingston, Andrew profile

Other supervisor(s)

Myers, Glenn profile
Sheppard, Adrian profile