11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
[SCG47-P12] The first application of Photon Counting CT to rock samples
The constituent minerals of rocks and their arrangement are fundamental information for understanding the genesis of these rocks. Observation of rock samples is often dependent on the experience of the observer. It is very advantageous if the composition, shape and arrangement of minerals in the target rocks could be identified nondestructively and in three dimensions. Here we present preliminary results of the application of Photon Counting CT, which is being developed as a next-generation CT technology, to rock samples for the first time in the world.
Photon Counting CT (PC-CT) is a CT that uses an energy-resolved X-ray detector, which is different from the conventional detector (energy-integrating X-ray detector). By using this detector, the photons incident on the detector can be counted by energy (Willemink et.al, 2018). This is expected to identify the material based on the energy dependence of the linear attenuation coefficient, which represents the degree of X-ray absorption, to estimate its density and concentration distribution, and to reduce artifacts and improve image contrast by selecting an appropriate energy band.
We first conducted preliminary experiments to investigate the ideal sample size needed for the further experiment. For the study, olivine powder was used, and two types of specimens, 8 mm and 12 mm in diameter with a cylinder diameter of around 10 mm, were photographed. In the process of the study, we were able to obtain several images reflecting the difference in the energy range used. In addition, we were able to obtain images with fewer image artifacts by using data from higher energy bands, which are less affected by absorption. In this presentation, we will compare the results of the above preliminary experiments with the ideal values obtained from the chemical composition and density data of minerals, and also report the possibility of improving the image contrast using data in the low energy band based on the results of imaging a cylindrical sample with a diameter of 8 mm, which is less affected by image artifacts even in the low energy region. The possibility of improving the image contrast using data from the low energy band will be reported.
Photon Counting CT (PC-CT) is a CT that uses an energy-resolved X-ray detector, which is different from the conventional detector (energy-integrating X-ray detector). By using this detector, the photons incident on the detector can be counted by energy (Willemink et.al, 2018). This is expected to identify the material based on the energy dependence of the linear attenuation coefficient, which represents the degree of X-ray absorption, to estimate its density and concentration distribution, and to reduce artifacts and improve image contrast by selecting an appropriate energy band.
We first conducted preliminary experiments to investigate the ideal sample size needed for the further experiment. For the study, olivine powder was used, and two types of specimens, 8 mm and 12 mm in diameter with a cylinder diameter of around 10 mm, were photographed. In the process of the study, we were able to obtain several images reflecting the difference in the energy range used. In addition, we were able to obtain images with fewer image artifacts by using data from higher energy bands, which are less affected by absorption. In this presentation, we will compare the results of the above preliminary experiments with the ideal values obtained from the chemical composition and density data of minerals, and also report the possibility of improving the image contrast using data in the low energy band based on the results of imaging a cylindrical sample with a diameter of 8 mm, which is less affected by image artifacts even in the low energy region. The possibility of improving the image contrast using data from the low energy band will be reported.