  We present a theoretical formulation for the multiphoton diffraction
phenomenology in the nonrelativistic limit, suitable for interpreting
high-energy x-ray diffraction measurements using synchrotron radiation sources.
A hierarchy of approximations and the systematic analysis of limiting cases are
presented. A convolutional representation of the diffraction signal allows
classification of the physical resources contributing to the correlation
signatures. The formulation is intended for developing a theoretical
description capable of describing plausible absence or presence of correlation
signatures in elastic and inelastic diffractive scattering. Interpreting these
correlation signatures in terms of the incoming field modulated many-body
electronic density correlations provides a novel perspective for structural
imaging studies. More essentially, it offers a framework necessary for
theoretical developments of associated reconstruction algorithms.
