MRI: Acquisition of a Multi-Length Scale Ultra High-Resolution X-Ray Nanotomography Instrument

技术摘要：本提案支持购买超高分辨率X射线纳米层析成像仪(Nano-CT)。该仪器支持厚度为100微米、分辨率为30纳米的样品的无损内部三维(3D)成像，将是美国第一个基于非同步加速器的纳米CT。伊利诺伊大学香槟分校(UIUC)校区的47名教职员工参加了这项活动。在材料科学领域，纳米CT将有助于自我修复材料和可伸展/柔性电路的开发，并将使3D微米和纳米组装中的复杂材料能够完全表征。在工程领域，纳米CT将改进用于成像乳腺肿瘤的光学相干层析成像，帮助三维纳米制造技术的发展和固体推进剂的建模，表征混凝土破裂中多尺度的颗粒/气孔分布，使燃料电池的电极优化，支持新的纳米CT造影剂的开发，并使新的超快层析成像图像重建算法得以改进。非技术摘要：该提案支持购买非常高分辨率的三维X射线成像系统，纳米CT成像仪器(Nano-CT)。该仪器允许对厚度为0.1 mm的样品进行无损三维(3D)成像，同时可以分辨出宽度为600个原子直径的特征。在材料科学、生物、生物工程等领域，在制造纳米级的材料和器件方面取得了长足的进步，也就是说，尺寸范围只比单个原子大一点。为了继续在这些领域取得进展，能够在比单个原子大得多但比生物细胞小得多的长度尺度上研究材料的三维结构是至关重要的。除了能源部的主要国家设施外，这将是美国第一台用于这种三维成像的仪器。预计该仪器的性能将在材料科学、复合材料、固体推进剂建模、混凝土断裂研究、燃料电池电极优化等方面产生重大影响，并能够改进可以研究结构随时间变化的三维图像重建的新方法。

Technical Abstract:This proposal support the purchase an ultra high-resolution x-ray nanotomography instrument (nano-CT). This instrument, which supports nondestructive internal three-dimensional (3D) imaging of samples as thick as 100 om with 30 nm resolution, would be the first nonsynchrotron-based nano-CT in the US. Forty-seven faculty on the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign (UIUC) are participating. Within materials science, the nano-CT will aid the development of self-healing materials and stretchable/flexible circuits, and it will enable complete characterization of complex materials in 3D micro and nanoassemblies. In the areas of engineering, the nano-CT will improve optical coherence tomography for imaging breast tumors, aid the development of 3D nanofabrication technologies and the modeling of solid propellants, characterize multi-scale particle/pore distributions in concrete fracturing, enable electrode optimization for fuel cells, support the development of new nano-CT contrast agents, and enable the refinement of new ultra-fast tomography image reconstruction algorithms.Non-technical Abstract:This proposal support the purchase a very high-resolution three dimensional x-ray imaging system, a nanotomography instrument (nano-CT). This instrument, allows nondestructive three-dimensional (3D) imaging of samples as thick as 0.1 mm while resolving features as small as 600 atomic diameters in width. In the areas of materials science, biology, bio-engineering and other fields, considerable progress is being made in fabricating materials and devices that operate at a "nano-scale", that is, the size regime just larger than single atoms. For progress in these fields to continue it is vital to be able to study the three dimensional structure of materials at that length scale that is much larger than a single atom but much smaller than a biological cell. Outside of major Department of Energy national facilities, this will be the first instrument for this three dimensional imaging in the United States. The capabilities of the instrument are expected to have major impacts in materials science, complex materials, modeling of solid propellants, studies ofconcrete fracture, electrode optimization for fuel cells, and enable the refinement of new methods of three dimensional image reconstruction that can study the time dependent changes in structures.