Mapping the local nanostructure inside a specimen by tomographic small-angle x-ray scattering

Small-angle x-ray scattering is combined with scanning microtomography to reconstruct the small-angle diffraction pattern in the direction of the tomographic rotation axis at each location on a virtual section through a specimen. These data yield information about the local nanoscale structure of the sample. With rotational symmetry present in the diffraction patterns, e.g., for isotropic or fiber-textured scatterers, the full reciprocal space information in the small-angle scattering regime can be reconstructed at each location inside the specimen. The method is illustrated investigating a polymer rod made by injection molding. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.