Aspects of Modeling a Tomography Experiment under Conditions of Polychromatic Radiation

Modern tomographic studies using laboratory X-ray sources often employ the polychromatic mode due to the relatively low intensity of the radiation. This mode enhances the signal-to-noise ratio and improves the quality of the results of reconstruction. Modeling and analyzing the results of tomographic measurements with polychromatic X-ray radiation requires the consideration of additional aspects of the experiment compared to the monochromatic case. These aspects are related both to the spectral characteristics of the source and the interaction of polychromatic X-ray radiation with the sample and the detector. These aspects affect both the quantitative results of the simulation and interpretation of the reconstructed tomographic data. In this work, a simulation of a tomography experiment using silicon carbide samples and an aqueous solution of iohexol is performed. The influence of the X-ray tube radiation spectrum and the spectral sensitivity of the detector’s scintillator (charge-coupled device) made from various materials and thicknesses on the results of tomographic reconstruction is analyzed. Calculations are carried out both with and without consideration of these aspects. The results show that taking into account the spectral characteristics of the source and the peculiarities of the interaction between polychromatic radiation, the sample, and the detector improves the accuracy of simulating the tomography experiment.