X-ray diffraction imaging--a multi-generational perspective.

A brief description is given of some applications of X-ray diffraction imaging (XDI) in security screening, including detection of narcotics and a wide range of explosives: organic (plastic) explosives, liquids, home-made explosives (HMEs) and special nuclear materials (SNMs). A Bayesian formulation of the “rare event scenario” is presented, allowing the probability to be quantified that an unlikely threat is indeed present when an uncertain detection system raises an alarm.