Effects Of Scattering On X-Ray Imaging

Very high spatial frequency irregularities with small amplitude on a polished surface that usually cause wide-angle scattering in conventional optical systems produce narrow-angle scattering in x-ray systems. Yet, even this small amount of scattering degrades the imaging properties of x-ray systems. Statistical surface perturbations and their effects on x-ray image quality are discussed. A model of surface roughness that is reasonably consistent with surface profile measurements and visible scatter profile measurement is discussed. This model is then used to evaluate the image profile of an x-ray system.