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.

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.

Five forms of x-ray Interactions

Classical or Coherent Scattering Compton Effect Photoelectric Effect Pair production Photodisintegration

Two Forms of X-ray Interactions Important to Diagnostic X-ray

Compton Effect Photoelectric Effect

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.

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.

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.

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 but

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.

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 xray and the energy imparted to the electron.

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.

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 its energy.

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.

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.

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

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.

Features of Compton Scattering

Most likely to occur With outer-shell electrons With loosely bound electrons. Increased penetration through tissue w/o interaction. Increased Compton relative to photoelectric scatter. Reduced total Compton scattering.

As x-ray energy increases

Features of Compton Scatter

As atomic number of the absorber increases As mass density of absorber increases No effect on Compton Scatter Proportional increase in Compton Scatter.

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.

Photoelectric Effect

The Photoelectric Effect is a photon absorption interaction.

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.

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.

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.

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 xray has energy equal to or greater than the electron binding energy.

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

Effective Atomic Numbers

Human Tissue
Muscle Fat Bone Lung    

Effective Atomic #
7.4 6.3 13.8 7.4    

Other Material
Air  Concrete  Lead 

7.6  17  82 

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.

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 electronbinding energy.

Features of the Photoelectric Effect

As the x-ray energy increases Increased penetration through tissue without interaction. Less photoelectric effect relative to Compton effect. Reduced absolute absorption.

Features of the Photoelectric Effect

As the atomic number of the absorber increases As mass density of the absorber increases Increases proportionally the cube of the Z. Proportional increase in photoelectric effect.

Pair Production
If the incident xray 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.

Pair Production
The interaction with the nucleus strong electrostatic field causes the photon to disappear and in its place appear two electrons.

Pair Production
One is positively charged and called a positron while the other remains negatively charged. This is called Pair Production.

Pair Production
It take a photon with 1.02 MeV to undergo Pair Production. Therefore it is not important to diagnostic x-ray.

Photodisintegration

High energy x-ray photons with energies above 10 MeV can escape interaction with both the electrons and nucleus electrostatic fields.

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

Photodisintegration
Photodisintegr ation. Like pair production, the high energy needed to cause this makes it unimportant to diagnostic radiography.