Phase-contrast hard X-ray microtomography by Bragg-Fresnel optics

Recently it was found that transparent in hard X-ray (10-20 keV) range native and synthetic microobjects (10-20 microns size) mounted in a X-ray beam give an image contrast in spite of very small refraction and negligible absorption. The information obtained from registered diffraction patterns is deficient in the correct solution of the problem of phase-contrast computed microtomography (determination of the shape, density variation, inhomogeneity, defects in microobjects). But it is possible to obtain additional quantitative information using the so-called double-crystal diffraction technique where the X-ray wave formed by the Bragg-Fresnel lens and transmitted through the transparent microobject is the incident wave for the crystal analyzer.