Notebook 16

Photoelectric Absorption

-Occurs when an x-ray photon interacts with an inner-shell

electron.
-incident photon has greater energy than the binding energy of
electrons in inner shells
-incident electron is absorbed = Ionized atom
-photoelectron = ejected electron
-Characteristic Cascade: electrons from outer shell fill the vacant shell below until atom returns to
normal state. L shell electron fills the K shell electron space
-the energy of the characteristic cascade is characteristic of difference in energy of the two
shells they dropped
-difference between incident photon and binding energy of inner-shell electron is expressed below:
Ei = Eb + Eke
Ei = energy of incident electron
Eb = binding energy of electron
Eke = kinetic energy of photoelectron
-characteristic photon/secondary radiation = name for when electron transfers from outer shell to inner
shell releases energy.
-Primary radiation: when characteristic radiation created at x-ray target
-secondary radiation: characteristic radiation is produced outside of irradiated matter outside of
target
Three Rules that govern possibility of photoelectric interactions:
1. Incident x-ray photon energy greater than binding energy of the inner-shell electron
2. More likely to occur when the x-ray photon energy and electron binding energy are nearer to
one another
3. More likely to occur with an electron that is more tightly bound in its orbit
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Coherent Scattering (classical/unmodified)

-occurs between low-energy x-ray photons (10keV and lower) and
matter
-2 types
-Thomson scattering: single electron in interaction
-Rayleigh scattering: all electrons of atom in interaction
- photon interacts with electron in atom the electron vibrates at same
frequency as photon, vibrating releases exces energy by producing second photon with same energy and
wavelength but travels in different direction. Scatter photon

Compton Scattering
-occurs when incident x-ray photon interacts with
loosely bound outer-shell electron, removes from
shell, and proceeds in different direction
-dislodged electron = compton/recoil electron
-exiting photon = compton scatter photon
-lower energy than incident electron. Low frequency,
long wavelength
-average energy of inner shell effective photon is 50keV
-energy transfer in compton effect is expressed below:
Ei = Es + Eb +Eke
Ei = energy of incident photon
Es = energy of compton scattered photon
Eb = electron binding energy of compton electron
Eke = kinetic energy given to compton electron
-amount of energy retained by scattered photon dependent on initial energy of photon
-angle of deflection increase, more energy to recoil electron, less energy to scatter photon
-backscatter radiation: when scattered photon deflected back toward source
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Pair Production
-energy of x-ray photon is converted to matter in form of two
electrons
-occur with high-energy photon (1.02 MeV)
-high energy incident photon comes close to strong nuclear
field and loses all energy in reaction = positron and negatron
-annhilation reaction: when positron combines with e-, they
disappear and create 2 photons moving in opposite directions
(.51MeV)

Photodisintegration
-interaction between extremely high-energy photon (10kEv and
above) and nucleus
- strikes nucleus and energy is absorbed in nucleus = excitation
nuclear fragments

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References
1. Carlton, R. R., Adler, A. M., & Frank, E. D. (2006). Principles of radiographic imaging: An art
and a science. Clifton Park, NY: Thomson Delmar Learning.
2. Radiobiology. Retrieved November 16, 2016, from https://www.meded.virginia.edu/courses/rad/radbiol/01physics/phys-03-05.html

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