Methods for generating a multiple-energy X-ray pulse. A beam of electrons is generated with an electron gun and modulated prior to injection into an accelerating structure to achieve at least a first and specified beam current amplitude over the course of respective beam current temporal profiles. A radio frequency field is applied to the accelerating structure with a specified RF field amplitude and a specified RF temporal profile. The first and second specified beam current amplitudes are injected serially, each after a specified delay, in such a manner as to achieve at least two distinct endpoint energies of electrons accelerated within the accelerating structure during a course of a single RF-pulse. The beam of electrons is accelerated by the radio frequency field within the accelerating structure to produce accelerated electrons which impinge upon a target for generating Bremsstrahlung X-rays.

The present disclosure includes a core sample analysis system that includes a portable sampling device configured to be positioned adjacent to a subsurface core sample. The portable sample device includes a first module that includes a radiation source. Also, the portable sample device includes a second module that includes a detector that is configured to detect radiation emitted from the radiation source that reflects off of the subsurface core sample.

The present disclosure provides a method for recognizing an article using a multi-energy spectrum X-ray imaging system and a multi-energy spectrum X-ray imaging system. The method comprises: recognizing an application scenario and/or priori information of the article; selecting a parameter mode suitable for the article from a plurality of parameter modes stored in the multi-energy spectrum X-ray imaging system based on the recognized application scenario and/or priori information; and recognizing the article using the selected parameter mode, wherein the plurality of parameter modes are obtained by optimizing system parameters of the multi-energy spectrum X-ray imaging system under a specific condition using a training sample library for various articles.

The present disclosure relates generally to methods and apparatus for cargo inspection and, more particularly, to X-ray based inspection systems providing radiographic imaging and material discrimination with adaptive control of X-ray source dependent upon characteristics of the cargo under inspection. X-rays are generated utilizing a dual energy interlaced betatron by generation of X-ray pulses with lower- and higher-energies during the same betatron acceleration cycle.

The present specification discloses a radiographic inspection system for screening an area. The inspection system has a container that defines an enclosed volume, a radiation source positioned within the enclosed volume, a detector array, a movable structure attached to a portion of the base of the container, and a controller programmed to move the movable structure to achieve an optimum height of the radiation source's field of view based upon a plurality of data.

The present specification describes a scanning/inspection system configured as a dual-view system using dual-energy sensitive stacked detectors that are partially populated with multi-energy discriminating detectors for overall enhanced energy resolution and therefore improved discrimination of materials through better estimation of material physical properties such as density and effective atomic number.

Disclosed is a method for determining physical properties of a test sample using a spectrometric detector with at least three channels, consisting of: performing measurements in each of the channels on the test sample, calculating variables, each formed from a combination of measurements of different channels, and applying a weighting and bias matrix to the variables, enabling the investigated physical properties of the test sample to be determined.

The present specification discloses methods for scanning objects for the presence of lithium batteries. Normalized transmission X-ray data is used to generate organic, effective Z, and attenuation-based images. These images are then segmented using a combination of thresholding and region growing techniques to identify regions of interest. The regions are classified as lithium batteries or other objects, based on characteristics such as area of the region, its organic intensity, Z.sub.eff number, shape, spatial arrangement and texture.

A tomography method includes: a step of having a photon counting detector to undergo a relative motion with respect to an X-Ray source, and capturing 2N projected energy spectral data at 2N individual discrete projection angles that divide the relative motion, the N being a positive integer; a step of reforming the 2N projected energy spectral data at the 2N individual discrete projection angles and establishing corresponding projection intensity data; and, a step of basing on the projection intensity data and the 2N projected energy spectral data at the 2N individual discrete projection angles to calculate the material decomposition images. In addition, a tomography system is also provided.

A three-dimensional (3D) x-ray tomographic imaging system includes an x-ray source fixedly attached to a first unmanned vehicle, which can be aerial or otherwise configured for locomotion, and an x-ray detector. A vehicle controller is configured to be operated by an operator, and an optical camera is mounted to the first unmanned vehicle at a fixed position relative to the x-ray source, and an optical pattern is fixed at a position relative to the x-ray detector. The x-ray source and x-ray detector are configured to be positioned on substantially opposite sides of the object, while the x-ray source is rotated radially around the object to one or more imaging positions.