MPHY 35000

Interactions of Radiation with Matter

Discussion Week 5
(JP & Tabitha)

1. How do inner shell vacancies occur?

Inner shell vacancies occur as a result of hard collisions where delta rays compensate for the
electron vacancies. The Photoelectric effect also causes inner shell electron vacancies to occur.

2. Draw an x-ray tube diagram. Explain how it works.

The cathode emits electrons into the vacuum through a process called thermionic emission
and the anode collects the electrons, thus establishing a flow of electrical current, known as
the electron beam, through the tube. A high voltage power source is connected across the
cathode and anode to accelerate the electrons. Electrons from the cathode collide with the
anode material and accelerate other electrons, ions, and nuclei within the anode material.
About 1% of the energy generated is emitted/radiated, usually perpendicular to the path of
the electron beam, as x-rays. The rest of the energy is released as heat. The x-ray photon-
generating effect is generally called the bremsstrahlung (German for braking radiation)
effect. A range of photon energies is produced, and this spectrum depends on the anode
material and the acceleration voltage. Lower energy photons are preferentially removed by
photoelectric effect interactions within the target material itself, the exit window of the x-ray
tube, and other additional filters as may be added.

3. Draw an unfiltered bremsstrahlung spectrum. Why doesn’t the spectrum ever actually look
like this? Draw a filtered spectrum and explain the differences.
The spectrum doesn’t ever actually look like this because we
are accounting for the photoelectric interactions of low
energy photons within the target and the exit window of the
x-ray tube. We also need to account for the superimposition
of fluorescence x-ray lines.
4. What is W/e for air?
33.97 J/C

5. Write equations for the energy transferred, net energy transferred, and energy imparted.
Which is used for Kerma? For Dose? For collision Kerma?
𝜀!" = (𝑅#$ )% − (𝑅&%! )$&$"
% + ∑ 𝑄 which is used for Kerma.
$
𝜀!" = (𝑅#$ )% − (𝑅&%! )$&$"
% − 𝑅%" + ∑ 𝑄 = 𝜀!" − 𝑅%" which is used for collision Kerma.

𝜀 = (𝑅#$ )% − (𝑅&%! )% + (𝑅#$ )' − (𝑅&%! )' + ∑ 𝑄 which is used for absorbed dose.

6. Write the corresponding energy transferred, net energy transferred, and energy imparted
equations. What interaction event does the diagram correspond to?
The diagram corresponds to Pair Production.
𝜀!" = (𝑅#$ )% − (𝑅&%! )$&$"
% + *𝑄
= 0 − 1.022 𝑀𝑒𝑉
+ (ℎ𝜈( − 2𝑚& 𝑐 ) + 2𝑚& 𝑐 ) )
= ℎ𝜈( − 1.022𝑀𝑒𝑉 = 𝑇( + 𝑇)

$
𝜀!" = (𝑅#$ )% − (𝑅&%! )$&$"
% − 𝑅%" + * 𝑄
= 0 − 1.022 𝑀𝑒𝑉
+ (ℎ𝜈( − 2𝑚& 𝑐 ) + 2𝑚& 𝑐 ) )
= ℎ𝜈( − 1.022𝑀𝑒𝑉 = 𝑇( + 𝑇)
𝜀 = (𝑅#$ )% − (𝑅&%! )% + (𝑅#$ )' − (𝑅&%! )' + * 𝑄
= 0 − 1.022 𝑀𝑒𝑉 + (ℎ𝜈( − 2𝑚& 𝑐 ) + 2𝑚& 𝑐 ) ) = ℎ𝜈( − 1.022𝑀𝑒𝑉
= 𝑇( + 𝑇)

Presentation Question
What does filtration do? Give an equation for the beam-hardening effect.
Filtration preferentially removes lower energy x-rays thus hardening the beam towards
higher energy, at a monoenergetic limit. Because the photoelectric effect is the primary
mechanism for filtration, removal of lower energy x-rays, beam hardening is then
* , /
proportional to the photoelectric cross section + ∝ 9-.: .
 MPHY 35000
Interactions of Radiation with Matter
Discussion Week 5
(Sagada, Chris, & Rayner)

1. What kind of material do you want to use for x-ray production? Why?
You want to use material with a higher atomic number Z because then more energy is
transferred as radiative energy instead of collision energy

2. Where does electron energy go when it strikes a target?

Electron energy is lost through collisions and radiative energy that occurs through inelastic
Coulomb force interactions.

3. Draw the unfiltered energy spectrum for a thick target. How does it change with Ne, Z, and
initial kinetic energy T0.
Recall that 𝑅0 (ℎ𝑣) = 𝐶𝑁1 𝑍(ℎ𝜈234 − ℎ𝜈). So, it then follows:
An unfiltered Bremsstrahlung spectrum looks like the figure below.

For 2𝑁1 or 2𝑍 you get the figure below.

For 2𝑇5 you get the figure below.

4. Describe important features from the figure below.

 The plot shows the attenuation
curves in aluminum for x-rays
generated by 100 keV electrons
impinging on a target. From curves A
to D, it represents x-ray beams of
increased attenuation, and D is the
fully monoenergetic beam. The Half
Value Layer is the thickness required
of a material to reduce the exposure
of the x-ray beam by a factor of two.
Therefore, HVL1 reduces exposure
by 50%, HVL2 reduces exposure to
25%

5. Write the corresponding energy transferred, net energy transferred, and energy imparted
equations. What interaction event does the diagram correspond to?
The diagram corresponds to a Compton interaction
event.

𝜀!" = ℎ𝜈( − ℎ𝜈) + 0 = 𝑇

$
𝜀!" = ℎ𝜈( − ℎ𝜈) + 0 − (ℎ𝜈/ + ℎ𝜈6 )
= 𝑇 − (ℎ𝜈/ + ℎ𝜈6 )
(ℎ𝜈 0 0
𝜀 = ℎ𝜈( − ) + ℎ𝜈/ ) + 0 − 𝑇 + 0 = 𝑇 − 𝑇 − ℎ𝜈/

6. What is the equation for exposure? How is exposure related to collision Kerma.
Exposure (in units of C/kg) is the total charge of ions of one sign produced in air when all
electrons liberated by non-bremsstrahlung photons in a mass of air are completely stopped in air
78
(Note: exposure is only defined in air. Generally, exposure can be written as 𝑋 = @72@. It is
related to collision kerma in the equation below:
9 1 1 (@ )
𝑋 = Ψ ∙ 9 !" :
+
∙ 9 = : = (𝐾> )3#" ∙ 9 = : = # $%& .
< 3#" < 3#" //.CD F/'
:,3#"
𝑊E is defined as the mean energy expended in a gas per ion pair formed. It does not include the
energy going into radiation losses or the ionization produced by the resulting photons (it is
assumed independent of photon energy).