Facility Support: High-Resolution X-ray Computed Tomography Laboratory

设施支持：高分辨率X射线计算机断层扫描实验室

• 批准号: 1561622
• 负责人: Richard Ketcham
• 金额: $ 52.23万
• 依托单位: University of Texas at Austin
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2016-05-01 至 2018-10-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1561622&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Facility; Support; Resolution; ray; Computed

1561622KetchamThis Division of Earth Sciences Instrumentation and Facilities Program grant supports continued operation of the University of Texas Computed X-ray Tomography (UTCT) Facility over a two year period. The CT scanner at UT was specifically designed to enable x-ray tomography of a range of geological materials and sample sizes. The technology was developed from commercial biomedical CAT scanners with the adoption of a higher energy x-ray source and higher resolution CCD detectors to allow micron-scale imaging of geological samples. The technique allows for completely non-destructive imaging of the exteriors and interiors of samples. Differences in x-ray attenuation that occur due to variations in sample density and the elemental composition of the material along the x-ray path are digitally recorded by a CCD. Samples are mounted on a rotating table in front of the x-ray source. Radial 2-d slices of the attenuated x-rays are stacked by vertical translation of the sample table. Resultant x-ray sinograms are then reduced via computer algorithms to render high resolution 3-D images of the density distributions within samples. A recent upgrade of the UTCT high energy system has increased both resolution and scanning speed, lowering costs for lab clients and opened a multitude of new research possibilities. In particular, it enables 4-D scanning of systems in motion (during fluid flow, cooling, heating, strain, etc.). Exploration and exploitation of these new capabilities for an expanded range of studies including studies of fluid flow through fractured and porous media with relevance to groundwater hydrology, hydrocarbon reservoir extraction enhancement and carbon dioxide subsurface sequestration will be enabled by this renewal award. Continued support will benefit a large and diverse set of research constituencies. Over the previous period of support, UTCT has served over 190 principal investigators, most of whom are Earth scientists spanning the full breadth of subdisciplines, including petrology, paleontology, structural geology, hydrology, meteoritics, and economic and petroleum geology. UTCT's clientele also includes many researchers in other fields, principally biology, engineering, and anthropology. Three-quarters of investigators were from outside the University of Texas. The facility will continue to support user training through developed short courses and assist users in data reduction routines. This support is congruent with NSFs mission of promoting the progress of science and may advance the national prosperity and welfare through advancing knowledge of the behavior of water and hydrocarbon in the subsurface as well training students in cutting edge analytical methods in the sciences.***

1561622 ketcham地球科学部仪器和设施项目拨款支持德克萨斯大学计算机x射线断层扫描（UTCT）设施在两年期间的持续运行。UT的CT扫描仪是专门设计的，可以对各种地质材料和样品进行x射线断层扫描。该技术由商用生物医学CAT扫描仪发展而来，采用了更高能量的x射线源和更高分辨率的CCD探测器，可以对地质样品进行微米级成像。该技术允许对样品的外部和内部进行完全无损的成像。由于样品密度的变化和沿着x射线路径的材料元素组成的变化而发生的x射线衰减的差异由CCD数字记录。样品被安装在x射线源前的旋转台上。通过样品表的垂直平移叠加衰减x射线的径向二维切片。然后通过计算机算法减少所得x射线图，以呈现样品内密度分布的高分辨率3d图像。最近升级的UTCT高能系统提高了分辨率和扫描速度，降低了实验室客户的成本，并开辟了许多新的研究可能性。特别是，它可以对运动中的系统进行4d扫描（在流体流动，冷却，加热，应变等过程中）。这些新功能的勘探和开发将扩大研究范围，包括与地下水水文学相关的裂缝和多孔介质的流体流动研究、油气储层开采增强和二氧化碳地下封存。持续的支持将使大量不同的研究机构受益。在之前的支持期间，UTCT为190多名主要研究人员提供了服务，其中大多数是地球科学家，涵盖了岩石学、古生物学、构造地质学、水文学、陨石学、经济和石油地质学等各个分支学科。UTCT的客户还包括许多其他领域的研究人员，主要是生物学、工程学和人类学。四分之三的调查人员来自德克萨斯大学以外。该设施将继续通过编制的短期课程支持用户培训，并协助用户进行数据简化程序。这种支持与国家科学基金促进科学进步的使命是一致的，并且可以通过提高对地下水和碳氢化合物行为的认识来促进国家的繁荣和福祉，并培养学生在科学领域的前沿分析方法