Characterization of self-affine surfaces from 3D digital reconstruction

A new experimental method aiming to the characterization of self-affine rou gh surfaces is presented. Based on a three dimensional reconstruction of th e relief from stereo pairs obtained with a scanning electron microscope, it allows a non-destructive quantitative analysis of fracture surfaces, with a xy and z resolution only slightly lower than the original images. The rou ghness index of the fracture surface of an aluminum alloy is recovered, as well as the Hurst exponents of reconstructed computer-generated fractional Brownian reliefs.