BeamStop: A software for analysing chemical imaging and tomography data

Chemical imaging datasets, particularly those from techniques like X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) imaging and tomography (XRD-CT), are challenging to analyse due to their high dimensionality, complexity, and spatial heterogeneity. BeamStop is a specialised software platform developed to address these challenges through an integrated, tab-based environment tailored to chemical imaging workflows. Created at Finden Ltd to meet the needs we routinely face in synchrotron-based experiments, BeamStop brings together our extensive experience in XRD-CT data processing and analysis. At its core is a powerful hyperspectral imaging explorer, enabling users to visually inspect chemical images and interactively examine spatially resolved spectra or diffraction patterns. The software also supports workflows such as unsupervised clustering, peak fitting, and mask creation. For full-profile structural refinement, it integrates the TOPAS engine to perform Rietveld analysis on individual patterns or across entire images. This paper presents an overview of BeamStop’s architecture and capabilities, illustrating how it facilitates reproducible, high-throughput interpretation of complex chemical imaging data.