Measurement of coherent scattering form factors using an image plate

Two new methods for measuring x-ray coherent scattering form factors using an image plate were developed based on a matrix representation of the problem. The methods were tested experimentally using tube potentials of 50, 70 and 92 kV and different filtrations. Water and fat samples were measured and compared to data in the literature. For water, average absolute relative differences between 0.105 and 0.217 were measured when compared to the literature. Literature data for fat show a wide range of values. Our measured values were in the middle of the literature data range with average absolute relative differences between 0.126 and 0.528. The accuracy of the matrix methods was limited by the ill-conditioning of the problem and also experimentally by the limitations of our equipment. The matrix methods developed are shown to be relatively low resolution in momentum transfer parameter and limited to measurements on amorphous materials such as tissues where the attenuation of the x-ray beam is small. These methods, however, can be used to measure form factors with relatively inexpensive, clinical equipment.