Optical tomography for smooth-changing refraction index distribution

We propose an algebraic reconstruction method (ART) based on smooth functions to obtain the refraction index distribution of a radially symmetric phase object. Recovering the refraction index of a transversal section enables us to obtain some other physical variables such as temperature, pressure, etc. Considering phase objects with a radially symmetric distribution allows the recovery of information regarding the volumetric distribution of the refraction index based on a single projection. The proposed method is accurate, faster, and somewhat easier to implement than other currently used ART methods. As a sample application, the proposed method is applied to a burning candle case.