Particle systems analysis by using skeletonization and exact dilations

This paper describes how the formation of particle systems can be investiga ted by using computer vision techniques, namely effective exact dilations a nd multiscale skeletonization. By assuming that all particles started to gr ow at the same time and had the same growth rate, a hypothesis that can be validated later, it becomes possible to infer the shape and distribution of the particles in the initial system configuration. Multiscale skeletons ar e obtained for each individual particle, and a suitable overall spatial sca le, i.e. those best approximating the initial configuration, is determined as that immediately before the smallest particle fades. The thus obtained s keletons provide an estimate of the shape and position of the initial parti cles before uniform expansion. By using exact dilations, a generalized Diri chlet tessellation reconstruction of the particle system is obtained from t hese skeletons, and the similarity between this reconstruction and the orig inal system can be used to validate the assumptions about the growth condit ions. The proposed methodology is illustrated with respect to KCl polycryst alline thin films.