Reconstructing x-ray fluorescence microtomograms

Abstract

X-ray fluorescence microtomography allows one to map element distributions inside a sample with high sensitivity and resolutions in the micrometer range. Quantitative reconstruction of the element concentrations from the fluorescence data requires correction for the attenuation inside the sample. However, the attenuation of the fluorescence radiation is not directly accessible by experiment. The method described self-consistently estimates this attenuation and allows one to reconstruct relative concentrations. This is demonstrated on numerical as well as experimental data. A measure for the quality of the reconstruction is given.