Micro-focus x-ray computed tomography system for imaging heterogeneous materials in three dimensions

Funded by a Major Research Instrument Grant by the National Science Foundation.

PI: Arshad Kudrolli, co-PI: Charles Agosta
Department of Physics, Clark University

A microfocus x-ray computed tomography system is a versatile industrial instrument that can be used to investigate a range of scientific problems at the confluence of physics, materials sciences, and biological physics. At Clark, it enables a new series of transformative research both as a measurement and diagnostic tool to calculate properties of opaque inhomogeneous materials from first principles. The x-ray instrument significantly impacts undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral student training, besides being available as a research and diagnostic tool for the scientific and engineering community in Worcester and neighboring areas.

Link to research accomplished using this instrument at Clark:

- Internal structure of disordered packing of Platonic solids

This instrument complements a recent education grant by the Sherman-Fairchild foundation to bring major scientific equipment on imaging across spatial scales including an AFM and a radio telescope into an inquiry-based science curriculum at Clark University. The x-ray system complements this equipment allowing researchers and students unprecedented access to the internal structure of materials.

More information: http://physics.clarku.edu/

Date: January 1, 2010