X-Ray

Interactions

Chapter 13
 X-Ray Interaction with Matter-
atomic structure
• Atomic structure
– Nucleus (+)
• Protons (+)
• Neutrons (0)
– Orbital Electrons (-)
• Held in orbit around the nucleus
by electrostatic forces
– Opposites attract
– Force holding electron in
orbit is called binding energy
» Measured in keV
» Specific for each shell
and element
• Orbital shells are labeled starting
closest to the nucleus, beginning
with K then L, M, N, O, P, Q
 X-Ray Interaction with
Matter- binding
energy/total energy
• Electrons closest to the nucleus have
the highest binding energy and
decreases at higher orbital shells
– Ex. K shell has the highest binding
energy
• Electrons in this shell require
the greatest energy to remove
them from orbit
• Binding energies are also greater for
higher atomic number elements
– Have more + charged protons in
the nucleus which increases the
electron binding energy
 Interactions
• The primary beam is produced at the focal spot, with
the selected beam quantity and quality
 Controlled by the prime factors
 kVp
 mAs
 SID
• As the beam passes through matter (patient), some
photons are attenuated (interact with matter).

• The part of the beam that exits the patient and strikes
the IR is called:
 Remnant Beam
 Exit radiation

1. It can penetrate the section of matter without

interacting.

2. It can interact with the matter and be completely

absorbed by depositing its energy.

3. It can interact and be scattered or deflected from

its original direction and deposit part of its energy.
 X-Ray Interaction with Matter
• When an incident photon of the primary beam
strikes matter it will either:
– Transmit/Penetrate (pass through) without
interaction
• Will not hit anything in the body
• Produces good IR exposure
– Be attenuated- reduction in the number of x-
ray photons in the beam and subsequent
loss of energy as the beam passes through
matter.
• Fewer photons exit the body then enter
it.
• Caused by the x- ray photons interacting
with matter, usually an orbital electron.
• Occurs through a combination of:
– photoelectric absorption and
– Compton Scatter
 DIFFERENTIAL
ABSORPTION
• Various tissue types, and volumes, absorb
the beam differently.
– Ex. bone absorbs more of the beam
then fat.
– This differential absorption causes the
beam concentration to change and is
the basis for formation of the x-ray
image.
• More dense/ thicker tissue= more
photons attenuated= less x- rays
exiting that area of the body= less
IR exposure to the corresponding
area on the IR.
• Less dense/ thinner tissue= less
photons attenuated= more x- rays
exiting that area of the body=
more IR exposure to the
corresponding area on the IR.
 X-Ray Interaction with Matter-
basic interactions
• Five basic interactions
– In diagnostic range
• Photoelectric absorption
• Compton scattering
– At the extreme low end of the
diagnostic range
• Coherent scattering
– Above diagnostic range
• Pair production
• photodisintegration
Photoelectric Absorption/Effect
Introduction

• Incident photon interacts with a

tightly bound inner shell electron
and is completely absorbed (incident
photon no longer exists)
– End result is a positive ion,
because the impacted inner shell
electron is ejected from orbit
• Most likely to occur when photon
energy is slightly higher than binding
energy of K or L shell electron
 Photoelectric
Absorption

1. Incident photon (from primary beam)

impacts and ejects a tightly bound inner shell
electron (K or L)
– Incident photon is completely absorbed
and no longer exists
– Ejected electron is called a photoelectron
• Travels with kinetic energy equal to
the difference between the incident
photon and the binding energy of the
ejected electron
– Eke= Ei - Eb
• May travel on and eject more
electrons or be absorbed in tissue
2. Ejected electron (photoelectron) leaves a vacancy
in a inner shell
– Electrons behave in a way that fills the
inner most shell first
 Photoelectric
Absorption
3. An electron from a higher shell drops into
the vacancy left in the lower shell
– The difference in binding energy
between the two shells is given off as
a characteristic photon
• Secondary radiation because it
was created outside of the x-ray
tube
– Very low energy because
tissue atoms have very low
binding energies.
4. This process will continue until the vacancy
is in the outermost shell
– Called characteristic cascade
• Every time an electron drops into
a lower shell, a characteristic
photon is emitted
5. End result is a positive ion
 Likelihood of Photoelectric
Absorption

• Incident photon energy must be greater than

the electron binding energy it ejects
– Ex. A 24 keV photon cannot eject an
electron that has a binding energy of 36
keV
• More likely to occur when the incident
photon energy is higher than, but close too,
the electron binding energy
– A 24 keV photon is more likely to be
absorbed by an electron with a binding
energy of 22 keV, and is less likely to be
absorbed by an electron with a binding
energy of 36 keV
 • As kVp decreases, photoelectric
absorption is more likely to occur, and
as kVp increases photoelectric
absorption is less likely to occur.
– Orbital electrons comprising
human tissue have relatively low
binding energies; therefore, are
Likelihood of more likely to absorb low energy
Photoelectric x-rays
Absorption • More likely to occur when an incident
photon interacts with:
– High atomic # elements
• higher electron binding
energies
– Ex. barium, lead, bone
– Inner shell electrons
• K, L, M
– higher electron binding
energies
Photoelectric Absorption
 • Incident photon interacts with a loosely bound
outer shell electron, removes the electron, and
travels on in a random direction as a scattered
photon, with less energy, lower frequency, and
longer wavelength
Compton • Energy of the incident photon is split between
the electron binding energy, kinetic energy of the
Scattering ejected electron, and the scattered photon
energy
– Ei= Es + Eb + Eke
– Scattered photon retains most of the energy
because it takes very little energy to remove
an outer shell electron
 Compton Scattering
1. Incident photon strikes and ejects a loosely bound outer shell
electron
– Ejected electron is called a Compton or recoil electron
• Electron may eject more electrons or may be
absorbed in tissue (fills a vacancy in another atom)
2. Remaining photon energy travels off in a different direction as
a Compton scattered photon
– Scattered photon has less energy, lower frequency,
and longer wavelength than the incident photon
• Amount of energy retained by the scattered
photon depends on the angle of deflection
– Closer to 0 degrees= more energy is retained
by the scattered photon
– 180 degrees= less energy is retained by the
scattered photon and more is transferred to
the recoil electron
» Called backscatter
 Compton Scatter facts
• A Compton scattered photon will continue to interact
until it undergoes photoelectric absorption or exits the
patient
• Compton scatter is the primary source of occupational
exposure
• If it exits the patient and strikes the IR it will cause
unwanted radiographic exposure that does NOT
contribute to the image
– Since it is unwanted exposure, it is called radiation
fog
– A grids is a device that absorbs scatter before it
strikes the IR
• Compton scatter is more likely at high kVp techniques
and when the photon interacts with a loosely bound
outer shell electron.
Compton Scattering
 Coherent/Classical Scattering
• AKA- classical, Rayleigh, Thomson scatter
• Interaction between very low energy
photons and matter
– Occurs only with photons at the
very low energy x- ray range
– If it strikes the IR it will result in
radiation fog, but such a small
amount is produced through this
process, it is not a concern.
1. Incident photon strikes an
electron and causes it to vibrate
with the same frequency as the
incident photon
2. The “vibrating” atom
immediately releases this energy
in the form of a coherent scatter
photon
• Travels in a different direction
with the same energy,
frequency, and wavelength
Pair Production
• Occurs with a high energy photon and matter
– Well above diagnostic range
1. Incident photon comes close to the nuclear force field and
loses all of its energy
2. Lost energy is converted to a positron (e+) and a negatron
(e-)
– Negatron is absorbed in tissue
– Positron is not stable and seeks out an electron
3. Positron combines with a negative electron and changes
into two gamma rays moving 180 degrees from each other
– Called annihilation reaction
 Photodisintegration

• An interaction
between a very high
energy photon and
matter
– Well above
diagnostic range
1. High energy
photon directly
strikes the
nucleus and is
completely
absorbed
2. Nucleus responds
by emitting a
nuclear fragment
Effect on Technical Factor Selection

• During an exposure, most of the beam is attenuated.

– Only a small percentage transmits without
interaction to form the image.
• During an exposure one of three things will happen to
the x- ray photons:
– Transmit w/o interaction
• Aka remnant radiation, exit radiation, transmitted
radiation
– Attenuation
• Photoelectric absorption
• Compton scatter
 Effect on Technical Factor Selection

• Throughout the diagnostic range, Compton Scatter is the ALWAYS the predominant
interaction.
– However, kVp has an effect on the percentages of interactions that will occur
• As kVp increases, more transmission and of the percentages of interactions that
occur:
– Photoelectric absorption decreases
» More penetration of the part, which causes more good IR exposure
– Compton Scatter increases
» This increases IR exposure from radiation fog, which lowers subject
contrast
• As kVp decreases, less transmission and of the percentages of interactions that
occur:
– Photoelectric absorption increases
» Less penetration of the part, which causes less good IR exposure
– Compton Scatter decreases
» This decreases IR exposure from radiation fog, which increases IR
contrast
 Effect on Technical Factor Selection

kVp (10- cm tissue) 70 80 90 110 130

% Transmision 2.47% 2.74% 3.36% 4.12% 5.60%
% Attenuation 97.53% 97.26% 96.64% 95.88% 94.40%
Scatter 62.70% 63.95% 66.70% 69.77% 75.22%
Photoelectric absorption 37.30% 36.05% 33.30% 30.23% 24.78%
Effect of Scatter radiation (fog)
 TECHNIQUE AND
PATIENT DOSE
• High kVp and low mAs will provide the least
patient dose.
– High kVp= more transmission, less
Photoelectric absorption
– Low mAs= less photons in the beam striking
the patient
 Photoelectric Compton Scatter
Coherent Scatter

Electron Electron
X-Ray photon
Products Characterictic X-Ray Scattered Photon
(=energy)
(low energy) (low energy)

Some energy deposited,

X-Ray stops and deposits energy
Outcome Direction change of x-ray scattered x-ray in different
locally
direction

Energy Summary Less than 10 keV Dominant Below ~30 keV (1/E) Dominant Above~30 keV (1/E)

Z Dependence Z Z^3 Independent of Z

Impact on X-Ray Image No Significant Primary Contrast Background Haze

Electrons, characteristic x-rays

Impact on Patient Dose No Significant Electrons Deposit Dose
Deposit Dose

Not sign, except for

Impact on Staff Dose No Significant Dominant Source of stray dose
interventions if in beam