Nondestructive Inspection of Thin, Low-Z Samples using Multiplexed Compton Scatter Tomography

ABSTRACTThe viability of a Compton scattering tomography system for nondestructively inspecting thin, low Z samples for corrosion is examined. This technique differs from conventional x-ray backscatter NDI because it does not rely on narrow collimation of source and detectors to examine small volumes in the sample. Instead, photons of a single energy are backscattered from the sample and their scattered energy spectra are measured at multiple detector locations, and these spectra are then used to reconstruct an image of the object. This multiplexed Compton scatter tomography technique interrogates multiple volume elements simultaneously. Thin samples less than 1 cm thick and made of low Z materials are best imaged with gamma rays at or below 100 keV energy. At this energy, Compton line broadening becomes an important resolution limitation. An analytical model has been developed to simulate the signals collected in a demonstration system consisting of an array of planar high-purity germanium detectors. A technique for deconvolving the effects of Compton broadening and detector energy resolution from signals with additive noise is also presented. A filtered backprojection image reconstruction algorithm with similarities to that used in conventional transmission computed tomography is developed. A simulation of a 360–degree inspection gives distortion-free results. In a simulation of a single-sided inspection, a 5 mm × 5 mm corrosion flaw with 50% density is readily identified in 1-cm thick aluminum phantom when the signal to noise ratio in the data exceeds 28.