Ch 12

Question 1

Reduction in the number of x-ray photons in the beam and subsequent loss of energy as the beam passes through matter; result of x-ray photons interacting with matter and losing energy through these interactions

Answer 1

Attenuation

Question 2

3 things the x-ray can interact with depending on the energy of the photon

Answer 2

Whole atom
Orbital electron
Directly with the nucleus

Question 3

What are low energy photons most likely to interact with?

Answer 3

Whole atom

Question 4

What do intermediate energy photons generally interact with?

Answer 4

Orbital electrons

Question 5

What are very high energy photons capable of interacting with?

Answer 5

Nucleus (radiation therapy)

Question 6

What are diagnostic interactions most common with?

Answer 6

Orbital electrons

Question 7

Energy required to remove an electron from a shell

Answer 7

Binding energy

Question 8

What is the approximate K-shell binding energy of the average atom in the soft tissue of the body?

Answer 8

0.5 keV

Question 9

5 basic interactions between x-rays and matter
With each of these interactions the x-ray photons either interact and change direction = scattering or are absorbed by the atom
When a photon is absorbed, all of the energy of the photon is transferred to the matter and the photon no longer exists
If a photon interacts and scatters, the photon still exists but usually possesses less energy than before
Partial energy from the photon is transferred to the matter during the interaction and the lower-energy photon then continues along its new path until again it either interacts and scatters or is absorbed
One photon may scatter several times before it’s finally absorbed completely by the matter

Answer 9

Photoelectric absorption
Coherent scattering
Compton scattering
Pair production
Photodisintegration

Question 10

Involves low-energy photons: below 10 keV
Electrons excited and vibrate at photon frequency; the excited/vibrating atom immediately releases this excess energy by producing a secondary photon that has the same energy and wavelength as the incident photon but travels in a dif direction from the initial photon
No electrons ejected and no ionization takes place

Answer 10

Coherent/classical/unmodified scattering

Question 11

2 types of coherent scattering that have the same basic interaction results

Answer 11

Thomson

Rayleigh

Question 12

Involves a single electron in the interaction

Answer 12

Thomson scattering

Question 13

Involves all the electrons of the atom in the interaction

Answer 13

Rayleigh scattering

Question 14

Incident photon energy completely absorbed by inner-shell electrons
Most likely to occur when x-ray photon has just slightly more energy than binding energy (Eb) of a K or L-shell e-Incident photon ejects the electron from its inner shell and is totally absorbed in the interaction
Dominate areas where there’s higher Z# materials (bone, contrast, etc.)
Incident photon needs an energy that’s slightly greater than the binding energies of the K-shell electrons are very low
X-ray photon absorbed in body
Most photoelectric interactions in the body result in the kinetic energy of the photoelectron; photoelectron is matter (not just energy) & therefore won’t travel far & is usually absorbed w/in 1-2 mm in soft tissue

Answer 14

Photoelectric absorption

Question 15

When is an ion pair formed?

Answer 15

Electron ejected from atom

Remaining atom has vacancy in inner electron shell

Question 16

Electron ejected from atom

Answer 16

Photoelectron

Question 17

Photoelectron energy can be determined with what equation?

Answer 17

Ei = Eb + Eke
Ei = energy of the incident photon
Eb = binding energy of the electron
Eke = kinetic energy of the photoelectron

Question 18

Inner shell electron vacancy makes atom electrically unstable

Answer 18

Ionized atom

Question 19

Vacancy instantly filled by an electron from the L-shell (or less commonly M-shell or free electron); in the vast majority of cases the electron transfers from an outer shell to inner shell and as it does it releases energy in the form of this

Answer 19

Characteristic photon (characteristic cascade)

Question 20

Radiation that originates from irradiated material outside x-ray tube
Production similar to characteristic x-rays production within target (electron transfers from one shell to another)

Answer 20

Secondary radiation

Question 21

Created at the x-ray target
Characteristic photons emitted from atoms of patient after PE absorption interaction
Low Z# in tissue = low energy secondary radiation, higher Z# with contrast agents = higher energy

Answer 21

Primary radiation

Question 22

3 rules that govern the possibility of a photoelectric interaction

Answer 22

Incident x-ray photon energy must be greater than or equal to binding energy of inner-shell electron
A photoelectric interaction is more likely to occur when the x-ray photon energy and electron binding energy are nearer to one another
A photoelectric interaction is more likely to occur with an electron that is more tightly bound in its orbit

Question 23

Occurs when an incident x-ray photon interacts with a loosely bound outer-shell electron, removes the electron from its shell and the proceeds in a different direction as a scattered photon

Answer 23

Compton effect

Question 24

Dislodged electron when part of the energy of the incident photon is used to remove the outer-shell electron and impart kinetic energy to it

Answer 24

Compton/recoil electron

Question 25

Photon that exits the atom in a different direction, possesses less energy than the incident photon and therefore has a lower frequency and longer wavelength

Answer 25

Compton scattered photon

Question 26

What equation expresses the energy transfer in the Compton effect?

Answer 26

Ei = Es + Eb + Eke
Ei = incident photon energy
Es = Compton scattered photon energy
Eb = electron binding energy of the Compton electron
Eke= kinetic energy given to the Compton electron

Question 27

When a scattered photon is deflected back toward the source, it’s traveling in the direction opposite to the incident photon; most photons will scatter in a more forward direction, especially when incident photon energy increases

Answer 27

Backscatter radiation

Question 28

2 interactions between x-ray and matter that have an impact on an x-ray image

Answer 28

Photoelectric absorption

Compton scattering

Question 29

2 circumstances where photoelectric interactions predominate

Answer 29

In the lower-energy ranges (25-45 keV) produced by 40-70 kVp

When high atomic number elements are introduced

Question 30

When just comparing body tissues, in soft tissue (water), interactions are about 50/50 photoelectric absorption versus Compton at about what keV

Answer 30

26 keV

Question 31

When just comparing body tissues, in bone, interactions are about 50/50 photoelectric absorption versus Compton at about what keV?

Answer 31

45 keV

Question 32

Steps up voltage so amperage can go down

Answer 32

Step-up transformer

Question 33

Steps down voltage so amperage can go up

Answer 33

Step-down transformer

Question 34

Can be step-up or down, works on self-induction

Answer 34

Autotransformer