Temporal difference method for processing dynamic speckle patterns

A temporal difference method for processing dynamic speckle images is proposed. In the method two speckle images of an object, separated by a time interval, are subtracted one from the other to detect whether the speckle structure has changed or not. The rationale of the method is discussed. A variant of the method that allows measuring the area of an activity zone surrounded by a static region is tested in digital simulations. As a demonstrative experiment, that variant is employed to characterize the drying of a damp patch in filter paper.