Simulation of diffraction and scattering using the Wigner distribution function.

We present a new, to the best of our knowledge, method to simulate diffraction images accounting for both coherent and incoherent effects, based on the Wigner distribution function of the exit wave. This permits the simulation of wave and particle effects simultaneously and simulates images photon by photon. It is motivated by artifacts observed in x ray phase-contrast images after phase retrieval, present as noise in the low spatial frequency range, which can make analysis of such images challenging.