Fourier analysis of X-ray micro-diffraction profiles to characterize laser shock peened metals

X-ray micro-diffraction profiles using a synchrotron light source were analyzed via Fourier transformation for single crystal Aluminum and Copper samples subjected to micro-scale laser shock peening. Specifically, the asymmetric and broadened diffraction profiles registered across the shock peen region were observed and analyzed by classic Warren and Averbach (W-A) method [Warren, B.E., Averbach, B.L., 1950. The effect of cold-work distortion on X-ray patterns. Journal of Applied Physics 21, 595-599] and modified W-A method [Ungar, T., Borbely, A., 1996. The effect of dislocation contrast on X-ray line broadening: A new approach to line profile analysis. Applied Physics Letters 69, 3173-3175]. Average strain deviation, mosaic size and dislocation density were estimated for the first time with a spatial resolution of 5 μm. The results compare well with the simulation results obtained from FEM analysis and from electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) measurements. Differences in response caused by different materials and crystalline orientations (1 1 0 and 0 0 1) were also studied.