Next Generation Multi-Dimensional X-Ray Imaging

Our previous platform grant (PG) was aimed at developing the residual stress and imaging unit to extend our measurement and imaging capability beyond existing time and length scales and to become a world leading centre. This has now been achieved. The international impact of our research was recognised by the award of the most prestigious prize in the HE sector, the Queen's Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education (2012-2014) for "New Techniques in X-Ray Imaging of Materials Critical for Power, Transport and Other Key Industries." Further we have just been awarded £18m by HEFCE and £4.2m by EPSRC for capital investment to achieve a step jump in our instrumentation.

This PG renewal will enable us to invent new, and develop emerging, techniques to see in 3D events that have never been seen this way before. This will maximise the benefit of the capital investment bringing together X-ray and electron imaging to examine materials behaviour under demanding environments. Many of the instruments will be completely new. The PG will enable us to have a multidisciplinary team of mathematicians, detector experts, instrument developers and applications materials scientists to explore new regimes and undertake new science. For example, normally X-rays pictures are collected in black in white (just like the x-ray radiographs in hospitals). We have developed a detector that can see in 'colour'. This will enable us to 'see' the composition of the objects in our 3D images.

Normally X-ray imaging can see different phases but not the grains making up the materials. Recently together with scientists in Denmark and at the European Synchrotron in Grenoble we have developed a method to see the different grains inside a sample non-destructively. Currently this must be done using synchrotron X-rays at large facilities - we will develop a laboratory system capable of this.

Finally we have recently been awarded an 5 x EPSRC Centres for Doctoral Training and we will train these PhD students in the imaging techniques we develop through the PG.

The current Manchester residual stress and imaging facility has achieved a very wide range of impacts beyond the >200 papers that have arisen out of previous platform grant funding as recognised by the Queens Anniversary Award for 'New techniques in x-ray imaging of materials critical for power, transport and other key industries'. We envisage the PG funding will enable us to have even greater impact.

In relation to our impact on knowledge we have been able to work with over 200 researchers at the facility from 26 countries, and scientists from 35 UK higher education institutes. The new PG would enable us to develop techniques on a wide range of new pieces of equipment, many of which are completely unique. This will have a big impact on the way we see the world and our knowledge about it. In particular it will allow us to explore materials behaviour under a range of demanding environments. A unique feature will be our ability to connect many instruments across a range of scales and connect structural information with chemical mapping.

With regard to economic impacts we have worked with 90 companies. The New Characterisation facility has been funded with £99m of complementary industry funding from companies such as BP plc; Rolls-Royce; AMEC; Sellafield; NNL; FEI Company; Xradia; Rapiscan Systems; AREVA; Westinghouse. Many of the methods we have developed have been transferred directly into industry and we have set up a small self-sustaining activity that applies our methods to industrial problems.

The Facility has been an effective incubator for academic leaders with 7 PG researchers going on to lectureships and 2 becoming instrument scientists at international facilities. We believe that with PG funding we can continue to create an environment where young people thrive, undertake experiments at international facilities and continuously refine their skills under active mentoring. The PG will enable us to set up a "mini-sandpit" scheme along with small amounts of proof-of-principle beamtime to develop research collaborations of their own.

We take public communication very seriously; and the PG will enable us to continue this work. We have hosted Nuffield students every year for the past 6 years to work on our data. We train staff in public engagement and exploit the visual nature of much of the data we collect to communicate our fascination with science in the hope that young people will take up STEM subjects. Videos from our imaging have been included in many TV shows particularly natural history and palaeontology. During our current PG we exhibited twice at the Royal Society summer event as well as at Big Bang, Southport Airshow and many Science Festivals. In recognition of his contribution to outreach Prof. Withers has been awarded the 2014 Sir Colin Humphrey's Education Award by IOM3.