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Flaw characterization in eddy current testing usually requires to solve a non-linear inverse problem. Due to high computational cost, Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods are hardly employed since often needing many forward evaluations. However, they have good potential in dealing with complicated forward models and they do not reduce to only providing the parameters sought. Here, we introduce a computationally-cheap surrogate forward model into a MCMC algorithm for eddy current flaw characterization. Due to the use of a database trained off-line, we benefit from the MCMC algorithm for getting more information and we do not suffer from the computational burden. Numerous experiments are carried out to validate the approach. The results include not only the estimated parameters, but also standard deviations, marginal densities and correlation coefficients between two parameters of interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In non-destructive testing, model selection is a common problem, e.g., to determine the number of defects present in the inspected workpiece. Statistical model selection requires to approximate the marginal likelihood also called model evidence. Its numerical approximation is usually computationally expensive. Nested sampling (NS) offers a good compromise between estimation accuracy and computational cost. But, it requires to evaluate the forward model many times. Here, we first propose a general framework where data-fitting surrogate models are used to accelerate the computation. Then, improvements benefiting from surrogate modeling are introduced into the traditional NS algorithm to further reduce the computational cost. These improvements include the use of a sparse-grid surrogate model to deal with the “curse-of-dimensionality” in large dimensional problems and of the preestimated posterior space to save warming-up time. Based on eddy-current simulations, we show that this improved model selection approach has high model selection ability and can jointly perform model selection and parameter inversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Train traffic is a powerful source of seismic waves, with many applications for passive seismic imaging. Seismic signals were recorded a few metres away from the railway track. These records display harmonious waveforms below 15 Hz for trains driving at speeds of around 100 km hr−1. The sensors record an apparent wavelet emitted by the interaction of the axle on a few of the closest sleepers. From this, we build a simple modelling tool using shifted wavelets to simulate a train signal. The relationship involves the varying train speed, the distances between each axle, and the wavelet emitted by each axle. We propose a nonlinear deconvolution method to invert this relationship. We use a local minimization algorithm with gradients derived by the adjoint state method, and use a frequency continuation technique. A linearized picking-based inversion initializes the nonlinear inversion. On real data, we apply this automatic workflow to 300 train passages, with an excellent match between the best simulation and the data. We identify the trains decelerating as they enter a train station. We also identify the train type based on inverted wheel spacing with centimetric accuracy. The inverted wavelets are consistent with the assumption that trains emit seismic waves by bending the rail above sleepers, although the theory does not explain why the inverted wavelet is not zero phase. This automated kinematic inversion algorithm may allow for contactless railway monitoring, and be used for source characterization for subsurface monitoring below railway tracks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]