Unravelling the Twist in Narwhal Tusk with Hierarchical X-Ray Scattering Tensor Tomography ...
Narwhals are mysterious animals whose tusk has a unique spiral structure with highly anisotropic mechanical properties. We hypothesize that the orientation of the nanostructure reflects the spiral macrostructure, defining its mechanical properties. Previous experiments have shown microstructure with...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Dataset |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
European Synchrotron Radiation Facility
2026
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://dx.doi.org/10.15151/esrf-es-1112065501 https://doi.esrf.fr/10.15151/ESRF-ES-1112065501 |
| Summary: | Narwhals are mysterious animals whose tusk has a unique spiral structure with highly anisotropic mechanical properties. We hypothesize that the orientation of the nanostructure reflects the spiral macrostructure, defining its mechanical properties. Previous experiments have shown microstructure with a high anisotropy in the tusk direction with helical deviations from the tusk axis, however, the small sample size restricted the ability to connect the macrostructure to the local features investigated. How the organization of the nanostructure connects to these macroscopic features can only be done by probing the nanostructure through scattering in macroscopic samples. Therefore, we propose to use small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering tensor tomography with a high-energy beam to study the 3D arrangement of the mineralised collagen fibres in the tusk at the macroscopic scale. That will be of high importance for understanding the structure of the tusk and its connection to tusk mechanics. ... |
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