Energy resolved two-dimensional soft x-ray radiography with a micropattern gas detector.

This article discusses the use of energy resolved two-dimensional soft x-ray imaging (ERXI), in the range of 2–8 keV, to study and investigate composition and depth of different materials. This technique represents a new approach in which imaging is merged with multienergy analysis, performed with spectral scans in 25 energy subintervals. The detector used is a micropattern gas detector with gas electron multiplier as amplifying structure, pixel readout board with 144 pixels (12×12), and electronics for photon counting for each pixel. As the detector works in a proportional regime, images in adjustable energy windows (independently for each pixel) can be acquired. Energy resolution enhances the contrast and the imaging capability providing more information of the transparencies of the materials under investigations. Contact radiographies have been made with samples of four different materials: CaCl, organic fat matter, aluminum, and thin plastic tape. The resulting data transparency curves for these materials have been derived. These curves demonstrate the value of ERXI at high performances (high efficiency, high dynamics, and high contrast), potentially relevant for many future applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]