Stereological analysis of three-dimensional structure organization of surfaces in multiphase specimens: statistical...

In a multiphase material the structural components or phases are everywhere in contact with each other. The relative area of surface contact between various phases is an important aspect of the short-range ordering or organization of the structure. The stereological quantitation of such specific interfaces is a simple and well-known technique. The proper statistical definition of realistic models for the frequency of contact and the quantitative estimation of phase-specific affinities is studied. The meaningful interpretation of sets of estimated affinities poses a major problem of statistical inference which is dealt with in detail and illustrated by a worked-out biological example.