Abstract
The radiation-matter interactions of interest to nuclear medicine are those of photons (X or γ rays) and of charged particles (α particles and electrons). This chapter reviews the photon–matter interaction classes of interest to nuclear medicine dosimetry and classifies them in terms of whether or not the incident photon is preserved through the process. In practice, this will be those major interactions that occur at photon energies below 1 MeV. The cross sections for Thomson and Rayleigh scatter, which are classical in nature, are derived; insignificant energy transfer results from such scatters although they do lead to attenuation of a photon beam. Compton scatter is reviewed extensively, including through the derivation of the Klein–Nishina cross sections using the Feynman propagator method. Photoelectric absorption is next examined and the cross sections for photon absorption on the K-shell electrons derived. The excited atom must relax through either radiative or nonradiative means and these are reviewed and characteristic X-rays and Auger/Coster–Kronig electrons introduced. Finally, the interaction coefficients used in dosimetry to describe photon–matter interactions are introduced.
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Notes
- 1.
Nuclear Thomson scatter is the analog to Thomson scatter but with the nucleus as a point charged target. As the cross section is inversely proportional to the square of the mass of the scattering centre, nuclear Thomson scatter is negligible.
- 2.
The incident photon can also interact with the Coulomb field of an atomic electron to create an electron-positron pair and conferring energy to the recoil electron; such a process is known as triplet production and has an energy threshold slightly greater than 2.044 MeV.
- 3.
In reality, the electron is not “free” as its recoil is ignored. The electron is loosely bound to the atom which, in turn, may be bound to within a crystal lattice, for example. As a result, the recoil is shared with the atom and can be considered negligible.
- 4.
This evaluation is summarized by Hubbell et al. (1975).
- 5.
The scatter was considered inelastic in that the pre- and postscatter photon energies differed.
- 6.
A nomenclature which, unfortunately, can be confused with the fine-structure constant. However, which of the two quantities is being referred to should be clear due to the context of the discussion.
- 7.
Recall the Einstein relationship k = hν.
- 8.
In analogy to electron conversion, this electron could come from the 2s1/2 orbital because, while forbidden for a radiative transition, it is allowed for a nonradiative transition. This would be a Coster–Kronig type of transition.
- 9.
A large number of Auger-type transitions are possible: if the Xth and Yth orbital are both the L-orbital, then a possible nine transitions exist, three of which are indistinguishable.
- 10.
The Bragg additivity rule assumes that atoms in a compound act independently of each other. This, in general, is a sufficiently reasonable assumption in most dosimetry applications.
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McParland, B.J. (2010). Photon Interactions with Matter. In: Nuclear Medicine Radiation Dosimetry. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-84882-126-2_6
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