The NIST NeXT System for truly simultaneous neutron and X-ray tomography

Speaker:  Jacob LaManna, NIST

Program Description:
X-rays and neutrons provide complementary non-destructive probes for the analysis of structure and chemical composition of materials. Many samples of interest, such as fluid flow in porous materials, are stochastic or slowly changing with time which makes sequential imaging difficult as the sample may change between scans. To alleviate this issue, NIST has developed a system for truly simultaneous X-ray and neutron tomography by orienting a micro-focus X-ray tube orthogonally to a neutron beam. Volume registration and data fusion facilitate facile volume segmentation through 2D bivariate histograms. Research applications using the NeXT system range from oil and gas recovery, degradation of concrete, electrochemical energy systems, geochemistry, and cultural heritage. This talk will give an overview of the NeXT system, discuss several recent results, and detail future method improvements.