On the estimation of parameters of a spheroid distribution from planar   sections
  We study two different methods for inferring the parameters of a spheroid distribution from planar sections of a stationary spatial system of spheroids: one method first unfolds non-parametrically the joint size-shape-orientation distribution of the observable ellipses in the plane into the joint size-shape-orientation distribution of the spheroids followed by a maximum likelihood estimation of the parameters; the second method directly estimates these parameters based on statistics of the observable ellipses using a quasi-likelihood approach. As an application we consider a metal-matrix composite with ceramic particles as reinforcing inclusions, model the inclusions as prolate spheroids and estimate the parameters of their distribution from planar sections. 
Markus Baaske, Felix Ballani, Alexandra Illgen
stat.ME