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Lecture - 11 - X - Ray - Types of Radiation

There are two main types of ionizing radiation: particulate and electromagnetic radiation. Particulate radiation occurs when particles like protons, neutrons, or electrons possess enough kinetic energy to ionize atoms. Electromagnetic radiation includes x-rays and gamma rays, which can ionize atoms. X-rays are produced in one of two ways during particulate radiation: characteristic x-rays occur when an electron excites an atom, and bremsstrahlung x-rays occur when an electron is deflected by the nucleus.

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27 views8 pages

Lecture - 11 - X - Ray - Types of Radiation

There are two main types of ionizing radiation: particulate and electromagnetic radiation. Particulate radiation occurs when particles like protons, neutrons, or electrons possess enough kinetic energy to ionize atoms. Electromagnetic radiation includes x-rays and gamma rays, which can ionize atoms. X-rays are produced in one of two ways during particulate radiation: characteristic x-rays occur when an electron excites an atom, and bremsstrahlung x-rays occur when an electron is deflected by the nucleus.

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Krishna Rane
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Types of Ionizing Radiations

⚫ Radiation with energy> 13.6eV is ionizing. In medical imaging typically,


30keV- 511 keV can ionize 10-40,000 atoms

⚫ Two Types of ionizing radiations- 1. Particulate 2. EM

Particulate- Radiation by any particle (proton, neutron or electron) if it


possesses enough kinetic energy to ionize an atom
Kinetic Energy = the energy gained due to motion
- Mass of moving particle- ; Energy vs. mass :
Particulate Radiation by Energetic Electrons
⚫ We are only concerned with the electron accelerated in a X-ray tube
here ;– An electron accelerated across a tube with 100 KV potential
possesses 100 KeV kinetic energy
⚫ Two primary interactions
– Collisional transfer
>Most common
>Produces heat
– Radiative transfer
>Produces x-ray
>Characteristic radiation
– Collide with K-shell
>Bremsstrahlung radiation
– Collide with nucleus
– More common than characteristic radiation
Collision Transfer

⚫ The energetic electron collides with an atom in the target


⚫ Typically, a small fraction of the kinetic energy of the electron is
transferred to another electron in the atom
– As the affected atom returns to its original state, infrared radiation
(heat) is generated
⚫ Occasionally, a large fraction of the incident energy is transferred to
another electron, the newly freed electron may form a delta ray
⚫ The incident electron’s path may be redirected, and many other
subsequent interactions may occur, until the kinetic energy of the
incident electron is exhausted
Characteristic X-Ray

⚫ The incident electron collides with a K-shell electron, exciting or


ionizing the atom, leaving a hole in that shell.
– As the atom returns to its ground state, the k-shell hole is filled
by a higher shell electron
– The loss of energy creates an EM photon, known as Charac. x-ray
– The energy of the x-ray photon = difference between the energy of the
two shells (element dependent)
Characteristic radiation

⚫ Caused by removal of inner shell electrons and subsequent filling of


hole with electrons from higher shell. The shell-energy difference
determines the energy of characteristic rays
⚫ Lines are named after the lower shell involved in the process; the upper
shell involved is denoted by Greek letters:Δn = 1 → α-transitions, Δn =
2 → β-transitions, ...
Bremsstrahlung Ray

⚫ As the incident electron approaches the nucleus of an atom, the positive


charge of the nucleus causes the incident electron to bend around the
nucleus and decelerates
– The loss of energy leads to the Bremsstrahlung x-ray (energy vary
over a continuous range, depending on the speed loss)
⚫ Occasionally when the incident electron collides with the nucleus, the
electron is annihilated, emitting a photon with an energy equal to the
kinetic energy of the incident electron (highest possible energy)
⚫ Primary source of x-rays from an x-ray tube
X-Ray Spectrum
EM Radiation

⚫ EM radiation comprises an electric wave and a magnetic wave traveling


at right angles to each other
Typical EM waves:
– Non ionizing: radio, microwaves, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet
– Ionizing: X-rays, gamma rays
⚫ EM radiation has no rest mass and no charge, can act like either a
particle or wave
⚫ Particle🡪Energy of a photon of an EM wave with frequency v:

Where, is the plank constant = 6.626 x 10-34 joule-sec


⚫ Wave🡪

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