Microvoids in Solids: Synchrotron Radiation Phase Contrast Imaging and Simulations

• Published in: physica status solidi (b) 2018-09, Vol.255 (9), p.n/a
• Main Authors: Kohn, Victor G., Argunova, Tatiana S., Je, Jung Ho
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: computational physics; dentin; synchrotron radiation phase contrast imaging; voids
• ISSN: 0370-1972; 1521-3951
• DOI: 10.1002/pssb.201800209

Phase contrast imaging study and computer simulations of microvoids located in solid materials of complex structure have been reported. Images of microvoids arise as interference fringes due to coherent scattering of synchrotron radiation (SR) in matter. In the first part of this work, the simulation of the experimental image of a single tubular microvoid in a SiC crystal to illustrate the advantages and limitations of one‐dimensional (1D) phase‐contrast method and to discuss the approach to 2D objects has been performed. In the second part, a new iterative method for the variable wave function of radiation is employed to examine the applicability of the phase‐contrast method for an array of tubules. The latter method has been shown to be sufficiently accurate to be useful when a number of tubules along the beam is limited. Finally, the interference patterns generated by waves passing through a phantom dentin specimen have been calculated and analyzed. It has been demonstrated that both methods have extensive possibilities to determine the period in the lattice of tubules, even in the presence of some disorder. The phase‐contrast method is employed to simulate the cross‐section of a single tubular void in a SiC crystal, on the one hand, and to calculate images of a phantom dentin specimen, on the other. The figure represents the Talbot effect from the 2D system that includes tubules with the diameter of 4 μm, spaced apart the distance of 10 μm. Left panel shows a strictly periodic lattice. Right panel is an image of the system with a weak disorder.