Acquisition of a Sub-Micron Resolution X-Ray Computed Tomography System

摘要该奖项将用于购买实验室规模的亚微米空间分辨率的x射线计算机断层扫描系统。该系统能够对各种材料的内部结构进行成像。这种能力最初将被用来回答有关环境中微量金属的吸收、骨矿物质密度、微机械缺陷、膜和过滤过程、动脉粗糙度和流体流动以及各种异质和功能梯度材料的微结构-性能关系等问题。所有这些领域都将通过并行适应和实施复杂的3D图像分析例程来辅助，以最大限度地从数据中提取有用的定量信息。该层析成像系统是同类中第一个能够达到亚微米空间分辨率的单元，比其他商用实验室系统提高了近一个数量级。这种分辨率的提高使我们能够在临界长度尺度上捕获微观3D空间信息，使我们能够在广泛的科学领域进行新的测量并挑战旧的假设。该仪器将成为3D成像设施的核心，该设施将成为新英格兰及其他地区研究和推广的资源。

AbstractThe award will be used to purchase a laboratory scale x-ray computed tomography system capable of sub-micron spatial resolution. The system is capable of imaging the internal structure of a wide range of materials. This capability will initially be exploited to answer questions regarding the uptake of trace metals in the environment, bone mineral density, defects in micromachines, membrane and filter processes, artery roughness and fluid flow, and microstructure-property relationships for a variety of heterogeneous and functionally graded materials. All these fields will be aided by the parallel adaptation and implementation of sophisticated 3D image analysis routines to maximize the useful quantitative information that can be extracted from the data. The tomography system is the first unit of its kind capable of sub-micron spatial resolution, representing nearly an order of magnitude improvement over other commercially available laboratory systems. This resolution improvement allows us to capture microscopic 3D spatial information at critical length scales, enabling us to make new measurements and challenge old assumptions in a wide range of scientific fields. The instrument will be the centerpiece for a 3D imaging facility that will be a resource for research and outreach in New England and beyond.