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At least 739 records · Page 41

The Facial Reconstruction of a Mesolithic Dog, Muge, Portugal

This paper presents the facial reconstruction of a Mesolithic dog whose skeleton was recovered from the Muge shell middens (Portugal) in the 19th century. We used the anatomical deformation approach based on a collection of computer tomography images as an attempt to reconstruct the Muge dog’s head appearance. We faced a few challenges due to the level of bone displacement and the absence of some cranium anatomical parts, as well as accurate information on soft tissue thickness for modern dogs. This multidisciplinary study combined anatomical, veterinary, zooarchaeological, artistic and graphic aspects to allow for the facial reconstruction of the Muge dog. Albeit an approximation, it confers a recognition to this prehistoric finding.

Moraes, Cicero (ORCID:0000000294790028)↗

Seeing the whole picture: Methods for getting the most from micro X-ray computed tomography of TRISO nuclear fuel particles

Tristructural isotropic (TRISO) coated fuel particles are a nuclear fuel form under extensive study for use in advanced nuclear reactor concepts. TRISO fuels are subjected to high temperature neutron irradiations and then examined to assess their performance by determining fission product retention and studying morphological changes. Micro X-ray computed tomography is one method of nondestructively studying the effects of TRISO performance. This work addresses the need for image processing to remove X-ray tomographic reconstruction artifacts that prevent the study of TRISO features, as the TRISO particles’ high Z kernel can introduce metal artifacts that degrade the image quality in the surrounding low Z coating layers. These metal artifacts were reduced by imaging the TRISO particles with both high- and low-energy X-rays and applying a mask to the radiographs obtained with low-energy X-rays to digitally remove the dense fuel kernel region. These masked radiographs were then used to produce a tomographic reconstruction which was combined with the tomographic reconstruction of the high-energy data. This enabled the relatively-low-density TRISO buffer layer to be examined in more detail, providing information on irradiation induced dimensional changes of the coatings. This methodology, which helps see the full picture of a TRISO particle, is not limited to nuclear fuels but can be applied to systems that contain highly attenuating material surrounded by less dense materials.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Progress on Associated-Particle Imaging Algorithms, 2022

The present work describes progress on developing imaging algorithms that use fast neutron signatures acquired using the associated-particle imaging (API) method. The present work complements ongoing work to develop neutron source and detector hardware to enable field inspection by investigating algorithms that are capable of discriminating among critical materials or extracting three-dimensional (3D) geometrical information from single-sided or transmission measurements. The present work is divided into three approaches: 1.Iterative reconstruction of inelastic gamma-ray emissions to perform 3D time-of-flight (TOF) imaging in a single view in either transmission or backscatter configurations. Iterative reconstruction enables image resolution better than the inherent TOF resolution. 2.Decomposition of registered neutron and x-ray radiographs into an assumed material list for each pixel in the image. 3.Material identification using full spectral analysis that includes the emergent neutron and gamma ray energies, times, and angles. Progress for each approach is summarized for fiscal year (FY) 2022.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Reconstruction of simulated electrostatic potentials by automatic differentiation-based phase retrieval in electron microscopy imaging

Measuring interfacial electrostatic potentials is vital to understanding many fundamental materials properties. A variety of TEM methods exist for measuring electric potentials from the phase shift produced on an electron wave as it passes through a sample. However, most are either experimentally challenging or poorly suited to resolving nanoscale features. Here, we demonstrate the viability of a simple, automatic differentiation-based exit wave reconstruction from a focal series of images to accurately measure nanoscale electric potentials. Here, the analysis suggests that under optimal measurement conditions, electric potentials can be resolved to less than 0.06 V in magnitude and less than 1 nm in spatial extent.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Image processing workflow yielding high contrast synchrotron nanoscale computed tomography data from Ni-YSZ electrodes

The operating lifetime of Ni-YSZ fuel electrodes used in solid oxide electrolysis cells and fuel cells (SOECs and SOFCs) is limited by Ni redistribution, one of the primary degradation mechanisms that must be overcome to extend the longevity and maximize the performance of SOECs and SOFCs. To achieve this, 3D microstructural data is needed to relate both initial performance and performance loss over time to microstructural properties and their evolution throughout operation under various conditions. However, 3D microstructure data remains relatively scarce within the literature due to multiple challenges in acquiring and analyzing such data reliably. This work presents a workflow for acquiring and processing synchrotron X-ray nanoscale computed tomography (nano-CT) data from Ni-YSZ electrodes. Parameters for each step in the nano-CT workflow are described up to the final result (a 3D reconstruction), with particular emphasis on image alignment using freely available software. Following the results of a parametric sweep of the image alignment step, high contrast, low signal-to-noise 3D nano-CT data is obtained with relatively short compute times. While the exact methods best suited to samples with different microstructural qualities, or similar Ni-YSZ nano-CT data obtained from other sources may deviate from the solution found herein, this work also generalizes the decision points and evaluation of each step to provide a starting point to adapt this workflow to other datasets.

08 HYDROGEN↗

Make the Fastest Faster: Importance Mask Synthesis for Interactive Volume Visualization using Reconstruction Neural Networks

Visualizing a large-scale volumetric dataset with high resolution is challenging due to the substantial computational time and space complexity. Recent deep learning-based image inpainting methods significantly improve rendering latency by reconstructing a high-resolution image for visualization in constant time on GPU from a partially rendered image where only a portion of pixels go through the expensive rendering pipeline. However, existing solutions need to render every pixel of either a predefined regular sampling pattern or an irregular sample pattern predicted from a low-resolution image rendering. Both methods require a significant amount of expensive pixel-level rendering. In this work, we provide Importance Mask Learning (IML) and Synthesis (IMS) networks, which are the first attempts to directly synthesize important regions of the regular sampling pattern from the user’s view parameters, to further minimize the number of pixels to render by jointly considering the dataset, user behavior, and the downstream reconstruction neural network. Our solution is a unified framework to handle various types of inpainting methods through the proposed differentiable compaction/decompaction layers. Experiments show our method can further improve the overall rendering latency of state-of-the-art volume visualization methods using reconstruction neural network for free when rendering scientific volumetric datasets. Our method can also directly optimize the off-the-shelf pre-trained reconstruction neural networks without elongated retraining.

Large-scale data↗

Dark-field X-ray microscopy with structured illumination for three-dimensional imaging

Dark-field X-ray microscopy is a lens-based technique that enables real-space imaging of heterogeneous micro- and meso-scale ordered materials. However, achieving accurate three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction often requires meticulous sample alignment or rastering, requiring complex rotational setups and extended acquisition times. To address these challenges, we introduce a structured illumination technique optimized for 3D imaging of ordered materials at sub-micrometer length scales. Our approach employs a coded aperture to spatially modulate the incident X-ray beam, enabling 3D structural reconstruction from images captured at various aperture positions. Unlike current 3D imaging approaches, which often rely on rotational or rastering methods, our technique uses scanning X-ray silhouettes of the coded aperture for depth resolution along the diffraction axis. This eliminates the need for sample rotation or rastering, resulting in a highly stable and efficient imaging modality. We validated the efficacy of this approach through experimental imaging of an isolated twin domain within a bulk single crystal of an iron pnictide using a dark-field X-ray microscope. This advancement aligns with the enhanced brightness upgrades of modern synchrotron radiation facilities, unlocking new possibilities for high-resolution imaging of ordered materials.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Through a glass darkly: In-situ x-ray computed tomography imaging of feed melting in continuously fed laboratory-scale glass melter

his study describes the first direct in-situ 3-D observation of a steady-state melting process by imaging a laboratory-scale slurry-fed glass melter in operation by x-ray computed tomography. Features of the reacting glass-feed, the foam layer underneath, and cavities in the glass melt pool are reconstructed in three-dimensional images. A slurry pool formed in a deep central caldera of dense dried feed, which penetrated into the glass melt. Slurry overflow from the caldera led to fast-dried and highly porous feed structure. A thin layer of foam separated the caldera from the melt. Bubbles ?5-15 mm in diameter were seen to grow beneath the reacting feed and move through the melt to escape at the edge. Pore morphology is benchmarked against computed tomography scans of a pellet of reacting simulated waste glass feed, and evolved gas analysis describes the gases generated as a function of temperature. Cooling artifacts are imaged and compared to previous studies of quenched cold caps. Detailed understanding of processes occurring during the conversion process in and below the reacting feed layer is necessary for the development of representative models of the melting process.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Wavelet-Based Interpolation and Representation of Non-Uniformly Sampled Spacecraft Mission Data

A well-documented problem in the analysis of data collected by spacecraft instruments is the need for an accurate, efficient representation of the data set. The data may suffer from several problems, including additive noise, data dropouts, an irregularly-spaced sampling grid, and time-delayed sampling. These data irregularities render most traditional signal processing techniques unusable, and thus the data must be interpolated onto an even grid before scientific analysis techniques can be applied. In addition, the extremely large volume of data collected by scientific instrumentation presents many challenging problems in the area of compression, visualization, and analysis. Therefore, a representation of the data is needed which provides a structure which is conducive to these applications. Wavelet representations of data have already been shown to possess excellent characteristics for compression, data analysis, and imaging. The main goal of this project is to develop a new adaptive filtering algorithm for image restoration and compression. The algorithm should have low computational complexity and a fast convergence rate. This will make the algorithm suitable for real-time applications. The algorithm should be able to remove additive noise and reconstruct lost data samples from images.

Bose, Tamal↗

Progress on Associate-Particle Imaging Algorithms, 2020

The present work describes progress on the development of imaging algorithms that use fast neutron signatures acquired using the associated-particle imaging (API) method. The present work complements ongoing work to develop neutron source and detector hardware to enable field inspection by investigating algorithms that are capable of discriminating between critical materials or extracting three-dimensional geometrical information from single-sided or transmission measurements. The present work is divided into three approaches:(1)Iterative reconstruction of inelastic gamma-ray emissions to perform three-dimensional time-of-flight imaging in a single view in either transmission or backscatter configurations. Iterative reconstruction enables image resolution better than the inherent TOF resolution.(2)Decomposition of registered neutron and x ray radiographs into an assumed material list for each pixel in the image.(3)Material identification using full spectral analysis that includes the emergent neutron and gamma ray energies, times, and angles.Progress for each approach is summarized for fiscal year 2020.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

1D Projections Readout and Track Reconstruction for the SONTRAC Instrument

Neutron spectroscopy and imaging has improved considerably over the last decade with the advancement of modern scintillating materials and compact, low power readout devices. Though challenging to detect, fast (>0.5 MeV) neutrons are ubiquitous, contribute to the radiation exposure of astronauts and space hardware, and have been effectively used to examine physical processes both locally and within our heliosphere at large. The SOlar Neutron TRACking (SONTRAC) instrument is designed to measure neutrons between 20-200 MeV with good angular sensitivity. SONTRAC consists of orthogonally stacked scintillating fibers readout by silicon photomultipliers to detect and track the recoil protons from double scatter neutron events. Proton tracking provides high-resolution imaging of fast neutronsat energies where the bulk of solar and planetary neutrons resides. The SONTRAC readout system, algorithms for track reconstruction, and tracking performance are presented.

George Suarez↗

Far-field thermal imaging below diffraction limit

Non-uniform self-heating and temperature hotspots are major concerns compromising the performance and reliability of submicron electronic and optoelectronic devices. At deep submicron scales where effects such as contact-related artifacts and diffraction limits accurate measurements of temperature hotspots, non-contact thermal characterization can be extremely valuable. In this work, we use a Bayesian optimization framework with generalized Gaussian Markov random field (GGMRF) prior model to obtain accurate full-field temperature distribution of self-heated metal interconnects from their thermoreflectance thermal images (TRI) with spatial resolution 2.5 times below Rayleigh limit for 530nm illumination. Finite element simulations along with TRI experimental data were used to characterize the point spread function of the optical imaging system. In addition, unlike iterative reconstruction algorithms that use ad hoc regularization parameters in their prior models to obtain the best quality image, we used numerical experiments and finite element modeling to estimate the regularization parameter for solving a real experimental inverse problem.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Evaluating Cryo–TEM Reconstruction Accuracy of Self–Assembled Polymer Nanostructures

Cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo–TEM) combined with single particle analysis (SPA) is an emerging imaging approach for soft materials. However, the accuracy of SPA–reconstructed nanostructures, particularly those formed by synthetic polymers, remains uncertain due to potential packing heterogeneity of the nanostructures. In this study, the combination of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and image simulations is utilized to validate the accuracy of cryo–TEM 3D reconstructions of self–assembled polypeptoid fibril nanostructures. Using CryoSPARC software, image simulations, 2D classifications, ab initio reconstructions, and homogenous refinements are performed. By comparing the results with atomic models, the recovery of molecular details is assessed, heterogeneous structures are identified, and the influence of extraction location on the reconstructions is evaluated. In conclusion, these findings confirm the fidelity of single particle analysis in accurately resolving complex structural characteristics and heterogeneous structures, exhibiting its potential as a valuable tool for detailed structural analysis of synthetic polymers and soft materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Cross-correlation of Planck CMB lensing with DESI-like LRGs

ABSTRACT Cross-correlations between the lensing of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) and other tracers of large-scale structure provide a unique way to reconstruct the growth of dark matter, break degeneracies between cosmology and galaxy physics, and test theories of modified gravity. We detect a cross-correlation between Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI)-like luminous red galaxies (LRGs) selected from DECam Legacy Survey imaging and CMB lensing maps reconstructed with the Planck satellite at a significance of S/N = 27.2 over scales ℓmin = 30, ℓmax = 1000. To correct for magnification bias, we determine the slope of the LRG cumulative magnitude function at the faint limit as s = 0.999 ± 0.015, and find corresponding corrections of the order of a few per cent for $C^{\kappa g}_{\ell }, C^{gg}_{\ell }$ across the scales of interest. We fit the large-scale galaxy bias at the effective redshift of the cross-correlation zeff ≈ 0.68 using two different bias evolution agnostic models: a HaloFit times linear bias model where the bias evolution is folded into the clustering-based estimation of the redshift kernel, and a Lagrangian perturbation theory model of the clustering evaluated at zeff. We also determine the error on the bias from uncertainty in the redshift distribution; within this error, the two methods show excellent agreement with each other and with DESI survey expectations.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Non-linear enhancement of ultrafast X-ray diffraction through transient resonances

Diffraction-before-destruction imaging with ultrashort X-ray pulses can visualize non-equilibrium processes, such as chemical reactions, with sub-femtosecond precision in the native environment. Here, a nanospecimen diffracts a single X-ray flash before it disintegrates. The sample structure can be reconstructed from the coherent diffraction image (CDI). State-of-the-art X-ray snapshots lack high spatial resolution because of weak diffraction signal. Bleaching effects from photo-ionization significantly restrain image brightness scaling. We find that non-linear transient ion resonances can overcome this barrier if X-ray laser pulses are shorter than in most experiments. We compared snapshots from individual ≈ 100 nm Xe nanoparticles as a function of pulse duration and incoming X-ray fluence. Our experimental results and Monte Carlo simulations suggest that transient resonances can increase ionic scattering cross sections significantly beyond literature values. This provides a novel avenue towards substantial improvement of the spatial resolution in CDI in combination with sub-femtosecond temporal precision at the nanoscale.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Portable Flow Device Using Fourier Ptychography Microscopy and Deep Learning for Detection of Biosignatures

A proof-of-concept, compact, portable Fourier Ptychographic Microscope (FPM) to perform wide field-of-view, high spatial resolution imaging (<1 μm) for biosignature motility in liquid samples, is presented. The FPM has the potential to be developed as a space-based payload for future landers destined to the Ocean Worlds. A portable FPM using an existing Fourier ptychography (FP) algorithm adapted for reconstruction is demonstrated. A NVIDIA Jetson Nano board and camera combined with FP, is used to computationally reconstruct sub-micron resolution images. Additionally, deep learning was employed to perform inferencing prediction which enables the on-edge FPM device.

Fourier↗