Radiation safety: principles of radiation protection Flashcards
x-ray production requires 4 conditions. What are they?
1.) source of free electrons
2.) acceleration of electrons
3.) focusing of electrons
4.) deceleration of electrons
Source of free electrons
The source of electrons is a filament at the cathode end of the tube.
The current is passed through the tungsten filament and heats it up.
-as it’s heated up the increased energy enables electrons to be released from the filament through thermionic emission.
what does the filament consist of?
Small coil of tungsten wire
As tungsten is heated…..
electrons in the tungsten atoms orbits spin faster, moving farther from the nucleus.
-electrons in outer orbits are flung out of the atoms forming an “electron cloud” or space charge
The space charge provides…..
the electron source for x-ray production
If you increase the mA, you increase the _______ current, which in turn increases the _______ current- this leads to more x-ray photons being created.
filament; tube
Acceleration of electrons
The free electrons must be accelerated across the x-ray tube from cathode to anode
Kvp forces electrons across the tube giving them what kind of energy
kinetic energy
The higher the kvp the more energy the ________ electrons will have
accelerating
“Pre-workout”
Focusing of electrons
a focusing cup houses the filament wires
-made of molybdenum or nickle
if you increase kvp then what else increases?
-electron energy increases
-x rays energy increase
when the kvp is applied during the exposure the electrons are focused…
-into a narrow beam
-directed from the cathode to the anode
deceleration of electrons
the electrons decelerate when they strike the anode
what is the anode target made out of?
Tungsten disk which has a high atomic number of (74) and a high melting point
-rehenium makes it last longer **
what are the 2 possible Target interactions?
There are two interactions that occur at the target (anode)
-Brems
-Characteristic
** BOTH start with an electron and result in a photon
X-Ray Productions happens…..
In the tube!! at the anode target
Explain Bremsstrahlung
-Braking radiation
-Electron in & a photon out
-Produces x-rays of all energies
-90% of all x -ray production
-x-rays below 70 KVP are a 100% Brems!
Explain Characteristic
-Electron in & Photon out
-The incident electron Collides with a shell electron, crashing it out of orbit and causing a cascade of electrons to fall into each shell closer to the nucleus, each time an electron cascades it causes characteristic x-rays closer to the nucleus to have a higher photon energy
What is K-shell binding energy of Tungsten?
69.5 or 70 keV
what is the Frequency of an X-ray mean?
It’s the number of times per second the electric and magnetic fields generate themselves.
** Number of waves
The higher the energy of the x-ray, the _______ the frequency
higher
what is the Unit of frequency?
Hertz (Hx)
or cycles per second
What is wavelength mean?
It is the distance the X-ray travels during one regeneration of electric and magnetic fields.
* the distance between two successive peaks. ALSO MEANS: Distance between the tops of the waves.
What is the unit of Wavelength?
Angstrom
Frequency and wavelength have an ________ relationship
inverse
if frequency increase than wavelength decreases
higher frequency would have either short or a long wavelength. which one?
SHORT
Low frequency will either have a short or long wavelength. which one?
LONG wavelength
Energy (kvp) and Frequency have a ________ relationship
direct
** E&F= closer together in the alphabet
Energy (Kvp) and wavelength are _______ related?
inversely
*meaning if you increase kvp, you will get shorter wavelengths!
low frequency
extremities!
high frequency
chest x ray
where we use a high kvp