Simulation of image formation in x-ray coded aperture microscopy with polycapillary optics

In x-ray coded aperture microscopy with polycapillary optics (XCAMPO), the microstructure of focusing polycapillary optics is used as a coded aperture and enables depth-resolved x-ray imaging at a resolution better than the focal spot dimensions. Improvements in the resolution and development of 3D encoding procedures require a simulation model that can predict the outcome of XCAMPO experiments. In this work we introduce a model of image formation in XCAMPO which enables calculation of XCAMPO datasets for arbitrary positions of the object relative to the focal plane as well as to incorporate optics imperfections. In the model, the exit surface of the optics is treated as a micro-structured x-ray source that illuminates a periodic object. This makes it possible to express the intensity of XCAMPO images as a convolution series and to perform simulations by means of fast Fourier transforms. For non-periodic objects, the model can be applied by enforcing artificial periodicity and setting the spatial period larger then the field-of-view. Simulations are verified by comparison with experimental data.