The present invention relates to calibration in X-ray phase contrast imaging. In order to remove the disturbance due to individual gain factors, a calibration filter grating (10) for a slit-scanning X-ray phase contrast imaging arrangement is provided that comprises a first plurality of filter segments (11) comprising a filter material (12) and a second plurality of opening segments (13). The filter segments and the opening segments are arranged alternating as a filter pattern (15). The filter material is made from a material with structural elements (14) comprising structural parameters in the micrometer region. The filter grating is movably arranged between an X-ray source grating (54) and an analyzer grating (60) of an interferometer unit in a slit-scanning system of a phase contrast imaging arrangement. The slit-scanning system is provided with a pre-collimator (55) comprising a plurality of bars (57) and slits (59). The filter pattern is aligned with the pre-collimator pattern (61).

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for X-ray phase contrast imaging. The method comprises the following steps: from the measured phase gradient and overall attenuation information, an electron density is computed; the contribution p.sub.c of the Compton scattering to the overall attenuation is estimated from the electron density; the contribution pp of the photo-electric absorption to the overall attenuation is estimated from the overall attenuation and the contribution p.sub.c; the values p.sub.c and p.sub.p are used to reconstruct a Compton image and a photo-electric image; by linear combination of these two images, a monochromatic image at a desired energy is obtained.

In one aspect, a process for characterizing a range of materials based on the scattering and stopping of incident cosmic ray charged particles passing through each material includes: determining a scattering metric and a stopping metric for each material within the range of materials exposed to cosmic ray charged particles; computing a ratio of the scattering metric to the stopping metric to obtain a scattering-to-stopping ratio for each material within the range of materials for the material; and establishing a scattering-stopping relationship for the range of materials based on the determined pairs of the scattering-to-stopping ratio and the associated scattering metric for the range of materials.

A sample analysis cup assembly, system and method for purging including a cell body, including a top end; a bottom end; a cell body wall extending axially from the top end to the bottom end; a transverse wall adjacent the top end, including a plurality of apertures extending therethrough; and a raised portion on the transverse wall including a central aperture extending therethrough; a rotatable cap, including a top surface; a bottom surface; and a series of apertures extending from the top surface through the bottom surface, the rotatable cap being structured to engage with the top end of the cell body; and a ring member structured to couple with the bottom end of the cell body are provided.

A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery containing a silicon material, wherein the negative-electrode active material can constitute a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery having high charge capacity, high initial charge/discharge efficiency, and good cycle characteristics. A negative-electrode active material particle according to an embodiment includes a lithium silicate phase represented by Li.sub.2zSiO.sub.(2+z) {0<z<2} and particles dispersed in the lithium silicate phase. Each of the particles includes a silicon (Si) core particle and a surface layer formed of an iron alloy containing Si (FeSi alloy). In an XRD pattern of the negative-electrode active material particle obtained by XRD measurement, a diffraction peak of the FeSi alloy at 2θ=approximately 45 degrees has a half-width of 0.40 degrees or more, and a diffraction peak of a Si (111) plane at 2θ=approximately 28 degrees has a half-width of 0.40 degrees or more.

There is described a handheld inspection device for inspecting an infrastructure having a structure wall at least partially supported into material such as soil. The handheld inspection device generally has a portable frame; a high energy photon source mounted to said portable frame and having a radioactivity level below a threshold radioactivity level; a scattered photon detector mounted to said portable frame and having a field of view diverging towards said target region of said infrastructure and encompassing at least a portion thereof, said scattered photon detector detecting scatter events incoming from said target region during a given period of time, and generating a signal indicative of scatter events detected during said period of time; and a controller receiving said signal generated by said scattered photon detector; and generating an integrity indication associated to said target region of said infrastructure based on said received signal.

There is described a handheld inspection device for inspecting an infrastructure having a structure wall at least partially supported into material such as soil. The handheld inspection device generally has a portable frame; a high energy photon source mounted to said portable frame and having a radioactivity level below a threshold radioactivity level; a scattered photon detector mounted to said portable frame and having a field of view diverging towards said target region of said infrastructure and encompassing at least a portion thereof, said scattered photon detector detecting scatter events incoming from said target region during a given period of time, and generating a signal indicative of scatter events detected during said period of time; and a controller receiving said signal generated by said scattered photon detector; and generating an integrity indication associated to said target region of said infrastructure based on said received signal.

An X-ray defraction (XRD) characterization method for sigma=3 twin defects in cubic semiconductor (100) wafers includes a concentration measurement method and a wafer mapping method for any cubic tetrahedral semiconductor wafers including GaAs (100) wafers and Si (100) wafers. The methods use the cubic semiconductor's (004) pole figure in order to detect sigma=3/{111} twin defects. The XRD methods are applicable to any (100) wafers of tetrahedral cubic semiconductors in the diamond structure (Si, Ge, C) and cubic zinc-blend structure (InP, InGaAs, CdTe, ZnSe, and so on) with various growth methods such as Liquid Encapsulated Czochralski (LEC) growth, Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE), Organometallic Vapor Phase Epitaxy (OMVPE), Czochralski growth and Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD) growth.

An X-ray defraction (XRD) characterization method for sigma=3 twin defects in cubic semiconductor (100) wafers includes a concentration measurement method and a wafer mapping method for any cubic tetrahedral semiconductor wafers including GaAs (100) wafers and Si (100) wafers. The methods use the cubic semiconductor's (004) pole figure in order to detect sigma=3/{111} twin defects. The XRD methods are applicable to any (100) wafers of tetrahedral cubic semiconductors in the diamond structure (Si, Ge, C) and cubic zinc-blend structure (InP, InGaAs, CdTe, ZnSe, and so on) with various growth methods such as Liquid Encapsulated Czochralski (LEC) growth, Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE), Organometallic Vapor Phase Epitaxy (OMVPE), Czochralski growth and Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD) growth.

According to an aspect of the present invention, provided is an information processing apparatus, comprising: a processor configured to execute a program so as to output a diagnostic result diagnosing an analysis profile result by inputting an input profile result in relation to an intensity of X-ray from a thin film and the analysis result of the input profile result to a neural network, wherein the neural network is a neural network that is allowed to machine-learn teacher data using input profile data in relation to an intensity of X-ray from a thin film and analysis profile data obtained from the input profile data as input data, and using diagnostic data obtained by diagnosing the analysis profile data as output data.