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Title: Determination of x-ray spectra from attenuation data by imposing a priori positiveness and bounded support: Theory and experimental validation

Journal Article · · Medical Physics
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1118/1.2436971· OSTI ID:20951113
 [1]
  1. ICTP Visiting Scholar at FaMAF, Laboratorio de Espectroscopia de Radiaciones, Universidad Nacional de Cordoba, Ciudad Universitaria (5010) Cordoba (Argentina)

The determination of the spectral distribution of an x-ray beam from attenuation measurements in a narrow beam has aroused great interest since it was first proposed by Silberstein in 1932. Since then, it has become clear that this is an ill-conditioned problem. Then, due to the intrinsic difficulties of the problem, care has been taken to improve the mathematical and numerical inversion techniques. Alternative ways to circumvent the explicit inversion by using the attenuation curve itself to calculate directly generalized moments of the solution have also been found. In this work, the explicit reconstruction of the spectral distribution is carried out by an expectation-maximization method that satisfies the a priori condition of positiveness of the solution and allows us to impose the boundness of its support easily, conditions which are known to be fulfilled by physically acceptable solutions. The simulations made and the experimental validation of the proposed method allow us to prove its scope and limitations.

OSTI ID:
20951113
Journal Information:
Medical Physics, Vol. 34, Issue 3; Other Information: DOI: 10.1118/1.2436971; (c) 2007 American Association of Physicists in Medicine; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0094-2405
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English