Ch. 9 X-ray interaction with matter Flashcards
Name 5 ways x-rays interact with matter.
- coherent scattering
- compton scattering
- photoelectric effect
- pair production
- photodisintegration
Of the 5 way x-rays interact with matter, what are the 2 that are important in making an x-ray image/
- compton scattering
2. photoelectric effect
Electromagnetic radiation interacts with structures that are…
similar in size to the wavelength of the radiation
What kind of wavelengths do x-rays have?
very short wavelengths
The higher the energy of an x-ray, the….
shorter the wavelength
What do low energy x-rays interact with?
whole atoms
What do moderate energy x-rays usually interact with?
electrons
What do high energy x-rays interact with?
nuclei
At what keV do x-rays interact with matter through coherent scatter?
below 10 keV
What are other names for coherent scattering?
Thompson scattering or classical scattering
Who was the 1st physicist to describe coherent scattering?
J.J. Thompson
How does coherent scatter occur?
- the incident x-ray interacts with a target atom, causing it to be excited
- the target atom releases this excess energy as a scattered x-ray with wavelength equal to that of the incident x-ray
- the direction of the scattered x-ray is different from that of the incident x-ray
What is the result of coherent scattering?
a change in direction of the x-ray without a change in its energy
In coherent scattering, why is there no ionization?
because there is no energy transfer
What direction does coherent scatter usually go?
forward
Is coherent scatter important in diagnostic xray?
no. it has little importance
Coherent scatter has ____ energy x-rays.
low
At 70 kVp, how does coherent scatter affect a diagnostic x-ray image?
it contributes a little to image noise
What is compton scattering?
when x-rays undergo an interaction with outer shell electrons that not only scatters the x-ray but reduces its energy and ionizes the atom
What is a compton electron?
the ejected electron that is ejected from the atom during compton scatter
In compton scatter, the x-ray continues in a ____ direction with ____ energy
different ; less
The energy of the compton scattered x-ray is equal to what?
it is equal to the difference between the energy of the incident x-ray and the energy of the ejected electron.
What is the energy of the ejected electron equal to?
its binding energy plus the kinetic energy with which it leaves the atom
What is the equation for the compton effect?
incident energy=scattered energy (binding energy x kenetic energy)
During compton, what retains most of the energy, the scattered x-ray or the compton electron?
the scattered x-ray, but both may have enough energy to undergo additional ionizing interactions
Ultimately, the scattered x-ray is absorbed how?
photoelectrically
What happens to the compton electron?
it loses all of its kinetic energy through ionization and excitation and drops into a vacancy in an electron shell created by some other ionizing event.
How many degrees can a compton scattered x-ray go?
up to 180 degrees from the incident x-ray
During compton scatter with a deflection of 0 degrees from the incident x-ray, how much energy is transferred?
none
As the angle of deflection increases in compton scatter, what happens?
more energy is transferred tot he compton electron but even at 180 degrees, the scattered x-ray keeps at least 2/3 of its original energy.
What is backscatter radiation?
x-rays that are scattered back in the direction of the incident x-ray beam
How could the possibility of compton scatter decrease?
as the x-ray energy increases, the possibility of compton scatter decreases