Scatter enhanced 3D X-ray imaging for materials identification

This paper presents an imaging technique, which utilizes coherently scattered or diffracted X-rays for the identification of potentially harmful or illicit construct substances. Typically, the inherently low intensity of diffraction phenomena has lead to their use being limited to slow response laboratory instrumentation such as diffractometers. Our investigation concentrates on the requirements of scanning and imaging applications, which require orders of magnitude reduction in signal integration periods. We achieve this speed by employing a novel configuration of tubular X-ray beam to produce a series of high intensity foci. Each bright spot exhibits orders of magnitude increase in the diffraction signal in comparison with conventional angular dispersive methods. This novel technique promises a high-speed solution for security screening applications.