X-ray Interaction with Matter
1
X-ray Interaction with Matter
• Electromagnetic Radiation interacts with
structures with similar size to the
wavelength of the radiation.
• Interactions have wavelike and particle like
properties.
• X-rays have a very small wavelength, no
larger than 10-8 to 10-9.
2
X-ray Interaction with Matter
• The higher the energy of the x-ray, the
shorter the wavelength.
• Low energy x-rays interact with whole
atoms.
• Moderate energy x-rays interact with
electrons.
• High energy x-rays interact with the nuclei.
3
Five forms of x-ray Interactions
• Classical or Coherent Scattering
• Compton Effect
• Photoelectric Effect
• Pair production
• Photodisintegration
4
Two Forms of X-ray
Interactions Important
to Diagnostic X-ray
• Compton Effect
• Photoelectric Effect
5
1. Classical or Coherent Scattering
• Low energy x-rays of about 10 keV interact in this
manner.
• Incident photon interacts with the atom.
• There is a change in direction. 6
Classical or Thompson Scattering
• There is no loss of energy and no ionization.
• Photon scattered forward.
• Because these are low energy x-rays, they are
of little importance. 7
Classical Scattering
• At 70 kVp only a few percent of the x-rays
undergo this form of scattering.
• Classic Scatter may contribute to the graying of
the image called film fog.
8
2. Compton Effect
• Moderate energy x-ray photon through out the
diagnostic x-ray range can interact with outer shell
electron.
• This interaction not only changes the direction
9
Compton Effect
• Reduced its energy and ionizes the atom as well.
The outer shell electron is ejected. This is called
Compton Effect or Compton Scattering.
10
Compton Scattering
• The x-ray continues in an altered direction
with decreased energy.
• The energy of the Compton-scattered x-
ray is equal to the difference between the
energy of the incident x-ray and the
energy imparted to the electron.
11
Compton Scattering
• The energy imparted to the electron is
equal to its binding energy plus the kinetic
with which it leaves the atom.
• During Compton-scattering most of the
energy is divided between the scattered
photon and the secondary electron.
• The Secondary Electron is called a
Compton Electron.
12
Compton Scattering
• The scattered photon
and secondary
electron will retain
most of its energy so
it can interact many
times before it losing
all of it’s energy.
13
Compton Effect
• The scattered photon will ultimately be
absorbed photoelectrically.
• The secondary electron will drop into a
hole in the outer shell of an atom created
by an ionizing event.
• Compton-scattered photons can be
deflected in any direction.
14
Compton Effect
• A zero angle deflection will result in no
energy loss.
• As the angle approaches 180 degrees,
more energy is transferred to the
secondary electron.
• Even at 180 degrees, 66% of the energy is
retained.
15
Compton Effect
• Photons scattered back towards the
incident x-ray beam are called Backscatter
Radiation.
• While important in radiation therapy,
backscatter in diagnostic x-ray is
sometimes responsible for the hinges on
the back of the the cassette to be seen on
the x-ray film
16
Compton Effect
• The probability of
Compton Effect is
about the same for
soft tissue or bone.
• This decreases with
increasing photon
energies.
• Compton scatter
decreases with
increased kVp.
17
Features of Compton Scattering
• Most likely to occur • With outer-shell electrons
• With loosely bound
electrons.
• As x-ray energy • Increased penetration
increases through tissue w/o
interaction.
• Increased Compton
relative to photoelectric
scatter.
• Reduced total Compton
scattering.
18
Features of Compton Scatter
• As atomic number of • No effect on Compton
the absorber Scatter
increases
• As mass density of • Proportional increase
absorber increases in Compton Scatter.
19
3. Photoelectric Effect
• X-rays in the
diagnostic range
can undergo
ionizing
interactions with
inner shell electron
of the target atom.
• It is not scattered
but totally
absorbed.
20
Photoelectric Effect
• The Photoelectric Effect is a photon
absorption interaction.
21
Photoelectric Effect
• The electron removed from the target
atoms is called a photoelectron.
• The photoelectron escapes with kinetic
energy equal to the difference between
the energy of the incident x-ray and the
binding energy of the electron.
22
Photoelectric Effect
• Low anatomic number target atoms such
as soft tissue have low binding energies.
• Therefore the photoelectric electron is
released with kinetic energy nearly equal
to the incident x-ray.
• Higher atomic number target atoms will
have higher binding energies.
23
Photoelectric Effect
• Therefore the kinetic energy of the
photoelectron will be proportionally lower.
• Characteristic x-rays are produced
following a photoelectric interaction to
those produced in the x-ray tube.
• These characteristic x-rays are also
secondary radiation and acts like scatter.
24
Photoelectric Effect
• The probability of a photoelectric
interaction is a function of the photon
energy and the atomic number of the
target atom.
• A photoelectric interaction can not occur
unless the incident x-ray has energy equal
to or greater than the electron binding
energy.
25
Photoelectric Effect
• The probability of photoelectric interaction
is inversely proportional to the third power
of the photon energy.
• The probability of photoelectric interaction
is directly proportional to the third power of
the atomic number of the absorbing
material
26
Effective Atomic Numbers
• Human Tissue • Effective Atomic #
– Muscle – 7.4
– Fat – 6.3
– Bone – 13.8
– Lung – 7.4
• Other Material
– Air – 7.6
– Concrete – 17
– Lead – 82
27
Photoelectric Effect
• A probability of interaction to the third
power changes rapidly.
• For the photoelectric effect this means that
a small variation in atomic number or x-ray
energy results in a large changes in
chance of an interaction.
• This is unlike Compton interactions.
28
Features of the Photoelectric Effect
• Most likely to occur • With inner-shell
electrons
• With tightly bound
electrons.
• When the x-ray
energy is greater than
the electron-binding
energy.
29
Features of the Photoelectric Effect
• As the x-ray energy • Increased penetration
increases through tissue without
interaction.
• Less photoelectric
effect relative to
Compton effect.
• Reduced absolute
absorption.
30
Features of the Photoelectric Effect
• As the atomic number • Increases
of the absorber proportionally the
increases cube of the Z.
• As mass density of • Proportional increase
the absorber in photoelectric effect.
increases
31
4. Pair Production
• If the incident x-ray
has sufficient energy,
it may escape the
electron cloud and
come close enough to
the nucleus to come
under the influence of
the strong
electrostatic field of
the nucleus.
32
Pair Production
• The interaction with the nucleus strong
electrostatic field causes the photon to disappear
and in its place appear two electrons. 33
Pair Production
• One is positively charged and called a positron while
the other remains negatively charged. This is called
Pair Production.
• It take a photon with 1.02 MeV to undergo Pair Production.
• Therefore it is not important to diagnostic x-ray. 34
5. Photodisintegration
• High energy x-ray photons with energies
above 10 MeV can escape interaction with
both the electrons and nucleus electrostatic
fields. 35
Photodisintegration
• It is absorbed into
the nucleus that
excites the
nucleus resulting
in the release of a
nucleon or other
nuclear material.
This is referred to
as:
36
Photodisintegration
• Photodisintegration. Like pair production, the
high energy needed to cause this makes it
unimportant to diagnostic radiography.
37
6. Differential Absorption
• Only Compton and Photoelectric Effects
are important interactions that the x-ray
may have with matter in the diagnostic
spectrum.
• More important than the x-rays resulting
from these effects are a third type, those
transmitted through the body without
interacting.
38
Differential Absorption
• Those that make it through the body
contribute to the radiograph.
• It should be clear than Compton Scatter
X-rays contribute no useful information.
• The film does not recognize the scattered
x-rays as representing an interaction of the
straight line from the target.
39
Differential Absorption
• These scattered x-rays result in film fog, a
generalized dulling of the image on the
radiograph by film densities not
representing diagnostic information.
• To reduce this type of fog, we use
techniques and apparatus to reduce the
amount of scatter reaching the film.
40
Differential Absorption
• X-rays that undergo photoelectric
interaction provide diagnostic information
to the image receptor.
• Since they do not reach the film, these x-
rays are representative of anatomic
structures with high x-ray absorption
characteristics. These structures are said
to
41
Differential Absorption
• Be Radiopaque.
• The other x-rays that penetrate the body
and are transmitted without interaction are
said to be Radiolucent. Radiolucent
matter appears as high density or dark
areas on the radiograph.
42
Differential Absorption
• Radiopaque • Appears Bright
• Radiolucent • Appears Dark
43
44
Differential Absorption
• Except at very low kVp, most x-rays that
interact do so by the Compton effect; this
is one reason why radiographs are not as
sharp as photographs.
• As a rule of thumb, less than 5% of x-rays
incident on the patient reaches the film
and less than one half of these interact
with the film.
45
Differential Absorption
• The radiographic image is the result of
the difference between those x-rays
absorbed photoelectrically and those
not absorbed at all.
• This characteristic is called
differential absorption.
46
Differential Absorption
• The radiographic image results from
less than 1% of the x-rays emitted from
the tube.
• Therefore careful control of the x-ray
beam is necessary to produce high
quality radiographs!
47
Differential Absorption
• Differential Absorption increases as the
kVp is lowered but lowered kVp results in
a higher patient radiation exposure.
• A compromise is needed for each
examination.
48
Differential Absorption
49
Differential Absorption
• As kVp is increased fewer interaction
occur so more x-rays are transmitted
without interaction.
• Compton Scatter is independent of the
atomic number of the absorbing material
and is inversely proportional to the x-ray
energy.
50
Differential Absorption
• At low energies the majority of the x-rays
interactions are photoelectric, where as at
high energies, Compton scattering
predominates.
• As kVp is increased, more x-rays reach
the film so lower output (lower mAs) is
required.
51
Differential Absorption
Probability of Interaction
• To image small
differences in soft
tissue, one must use
low-kVp in order to
get maximum
differential absorption.
• This is the principle
for mammography.
X ray energy
52
Differential Absorption
Probability of Interaction
X ray energy
• High kVp can be used for examinations of bony structures
since the crossover for photoelectric and Compton scattering
is about 40 keV. This lowers patient exposure. 53
Dependence on Mass Density
• We know that we could image bone even
if the differential absorption were not
atomic number related because bone has
a higher mass density than soft tissue.
• The interaction between x-rays and soft
tissue is proportional to the mass density
of the tissue.
54
Mass Densities of Materials
Important in Radiography
• Human Tissues • Mass Density
• Muscle • 1.00
• Fat • 0.91
• Bone • 1.85
• Lung • 0.32
55
Mass Densities of Materials
Important in Radiography
• Contrast Media • Mass Density
• Barium • 3.5
• Iodine • 4.93
• Air • 0.001293
• Other
• Concrete • 2.35
• Lead • 11.35
56
57
Mass Densities of Materials Important in
Radiography
58
Contrast Examinations
• In Medical radiography. To better image
soft tissue structures such as internal
organs, contrast media are used.
• The primary items are Barium with an
atomic number of 56 and iodine which has
an atomic number of 53.
• Air can be combined with the contrast.
59
Exponential Attenuation
• An interaction such as photoelectric effect
is called an absorbing process because
x-ray disappear.
• All interactions in which the x-ray photon is
only partially absorbed such as the
Compton effect is called a scattering
process. Pair reduction,
Photodisintegration and Classic scatter
are scattering processes.
60
Exponential Attenuation
• The total reduction in the number of x-rays
remaining in an x-ray beam following
penetration through a given thickness of
matter is called attenuation.
• X-rays are attenuated exponentially
which means they have do have a fixed
range of matter.
61
Exponential Attenuation
• They are reduced in number by a given
percentage for each incremental thickness of the
absorber. 62
End of Lecture
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