FILTRATION AND BEAM

QUALITY
IMAM KAMBALI
Research Center for Accelerator Technology - BRIN

Postgraduate Educational Course in Radiation Protection

and the Safety of Radiation Sources

NATIONAL RESEARCH AND INNOVATION AGENCY

INDONESIA - 2023
Module I.4.12

Part I Review of Fundamentals

Module 4 Sources of Radiation

Session 12 Filtration and Beam Quality

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 Overview

• In this session we will discuss x-ray spectra

• We will also discuss filtration and it’s effect on the spectra

• Finally we will discuss x-ray beam quality

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 Introduction

The three topics in this section have already been introduced

in Session I.3.5 where the following concepts were
discussed:

➢ exponential attenuation
➢ linear attenuation coefficient and
➢ mass attenuation coefficient

A brief review will be useful in understanding the current

topics

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 X-Ray Spectra

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 Attenuation

90% 90% 90% 90%

100 90 81 73 66

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 Half Value Layer
mono- HVL HVL HVL HVL
energetic
1000 500 250 125 62

E1 E1 E1 E1 E1

poly-
energetic*
1000 500 300 200 155

E1 E2 E3 E4 E5

* Effective energy of the initial polyenergetic beam is the same as

the energy of the monoenergetic beam above

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 Half Value Layer

1000

poly
mono
Intensity

100
1 2 3 4 5
mm AL

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 Sample Problem

An x-ray beam is evaluated by sequentially placing

thicknesses of aluminum in the beam path and measuring
the amount of radiation transmitted. The results are:

Al (mm) (mR/hr) Al (mm) (mR/hr)

0 350 4 170
1 290 5 150
2 240 6 140
3 200 10 100

Determine the effective energy of the radiation emitted by

this x-ray unit.

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 Solution to Sample Problem

HVL approximately 3.9 mm = 0.39 cm

µ = Ln2/HVL = Ln2/0.39 cm = 1.78 cm-1
D for aluminum = 2.7 g/cm3
MAC = LAC/D = 1.78 cm-1/2.7 g/cm3 = 0.66 cm2/g

Looking up the MAC for aluminum yields an effective energy

somewhere between 35 and 40 keV

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 Where to Get More Information

➢ Cember, H., Introduction to Health Physics, 3rd Edition, McGraw-Hill,

New York (2000)

➢ Firestone, R.B., Baglin, C.M., Frank-Chu, S.Y., Eds., Table of Isotopes (8th
Edition, 1999 update), Wiley, New York (1999)

➢ International Atomic Energy Agency, The Safe Use of Radiation

Sources, Training Course Series No. 6, IAEA, Vienna (1995)

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