The Production of X Rays

Ionizing radiation - Produced by the transformation of Kinetic Energy (KE) held by electrons Electro-
Magnetic Energy(EME). They have sufficient energy to exceed the BE of an atom and converted the KE
into another form of energy.
Ionize – to completely remove an electron from an atom or molecule

Penetrability of X rays
Radioluscent- easy E.g… air, tissues and fluids
Radiopaque – hard E.g… bones, lead

The Production of X Rays

There are 3 basic requirements for the production of X rays: a source of electrons; a method of rapidly
accelerating/energizing the electrons; a method of rapidly decelerating/deenergizing the electrons. These
processes all occurs inside an X ray tube.

The X ray tube is made up of 2 sides a negative side(cathode) and a positive side(anode). One component
of the negative side (cathode) is made up of filaments. The filament when heated will emit electrons which
is known as thermionic emission. When the filaments are heated electrons forms first around the filament
(known as electron cloud) prior to hitting the anode. The X ray tube is in a state of vacuum to facilitate
passage of electrons. The negatively charged electrons will be repelled from the cathode and are attracted
by the positively charged anode. The electron produced in the filament will accelerate and will hit the
tungsten metal in the positive side (anode) of the X ray tube. The energy released from these produces
the x ray. The anode will rotate to dissipate heat except if the anode is an stationary one. The X rays will
exit the x ray tube through the tube/glass window to the patient. The other x rays not exiting through the
tube window will be absorbed by the filters made out of lead metal placed around the X ray tube.

When the voltage increases the speed of the electron increases thus the intensity of the x rays increases.
In practice these is the function of the kVp in the control console.

Melvin O. Allama, DVM (VSUR 4 1st Sem. SY 2020-2021, NVSU CVM)

2 Types of X-rays
Characteristic / Line
The projectile electrons interact with the inner shell electrons
General/ Continuous/ Bremsstrahlung
The projectile electrons interacts with the nucleus of a target atom

Characteristic / Line
The voltage difference between the cathode and anode is extremely high, so the electrons fly through
the tube with a great deal of force. When a speeding electron collides with a tungsten atom, it knocks
loose an electron in one of the atom's lower orbitals. An electron in a higher orbital immediately falls to
the lower energy level, releasing its extra energy in the form of a photon. It's a big drop, so the photon
has a high energy level -- it is an X-ray photon

The free electron collides with the

tungsten atom, knocking an electron out
of a lower orbital. A higher orbital electron
fills the empty position, releasing its excess
energy as a photon.

When a high energy electron (1) collides

with an inner shell electron (2) both are
ejected from the tungsten atom leaving a
'hole' in the inner layer. This is filled by an
outer shell electron (3) with a loss of
energy emitted as an X-ray photon (4).

General/ Continuous/ Bremsstrahlung

Free electrons can also generate photons without hitting an atom. An atom's nucleus may attract a
speeding electron just enough to alter its course. Like a comet whipping around the sun, the electron
slows down and changes direction as it speeds past the atom. This "braking" action causes the electron to
emit excess energy in the form of an X-ray photon.

The free electron is attracted to the tungsten

atom nucleus. As the electron speeds past, the
nucleus alters its course. The electron loses
energy, which it releases as an X-ray photon.

Bremsstrahlung/Braking X-ray generation

When an electron passes near the nucleus it is
slowed and its path is deflected. Energy lost is
emitted as a bremsstrahlung X-ray photon.
Bremsstrahlung = Braking radiation
Approximately 80% of the population of X-rays
within the X-ray beam consists of X-rays
generated in this way.

Melvin O. Allama, DVM (VSUR 4 1st Sem. SY 2020-2021, NVSU CVM)

The X-ray beam
• Hard x-ray - strong rays with high energy level, difficult to block this is needed in taking radiograph
• Soft x-ray - Poor penetrability, low energy level; this is not needed in the production of radiograph
• Polychromatic/ Heterochromatic - Different energies
• Monochromatic - Only one energy
• Primary Radiation - Unaltered radiation
• Secondary Radiation - Altered, different energy level or new direction, results from the interaction
of primary radiation and any matter

Types of X-rays
Type of X-ray Energy Application

Diffraction <10kVp Research: structural and molecular

analysis

Grenz rays 10-20kVp Dermatology

Superficial x-rays 50-100kVp Tx of superficial tissues
Diagnostic x-rays 30-100 kVp Imaging anatomic structures and
tissues
Orthovoltage x-rays 200-300kVp Tx of deep lying tissues
Supervoltage x-rays 300-1000kVp Tx of deep lying tissues
Megavoltage x-rays >1MV Medicine: Tx of deep lying tissues
Industry: checking integrity of
welded metals

Interaction of X-rays with matter

Coherent scattering - (also called Bragg or Rayleigh scattering) the γ-ray is absorbed and immediately re-
emitted from the atom with unchanged energy but in a different direction.

It occurs when an incoming x-ray photon strikes an atom and is absorbed, causing the atom to become
excited. The atom then releases the excess energy in the form of another x-ray photon possessing the
same energy as the original photon, but proceeding in a different direction. This change in direction is
known as scattering. Most of these scattered photons travel in a forward direction, stopping when they
strike anything in their path. More importantly, classic coherent scattering results in no energy transfer
to the patient

Melvin O. Allama, DVM (VSUR 4 1st Sem. SY 2020-2021, NVSU CVM)

Photoelectric effect – incident electron hits and orbiting electron resulting to the ejection of two
electrons. This leaves empty hole in shell. The outer shell electron drops down to lower shell this electron
loses energy giving it as radiation.

Compton effect/scattering – an incident x rays hits an outer shell electron knocking it off from its orbits
(known as ionization) and the same time produces scattered radiations/photons. The electron that is
knock off from its orbit is sometimes known as Compton electron. The remaining energy leaves the atom
as scattered photon also known as Compton photon. Compton scattering increases patient doses and also
by-standers doses. It also decreases image quality because it decreases image contrast.

Pair production – For pair production to occur, an incoming x-ray photon must possess a minimum of 1.02
million electron volts (MeV) of energy. This photon does not interact with the surrounding electron orbits;
instead, it approaches the nucleus of the atom and interacts with its force field. The photon disappears,
and two particles emerge to replace it: a positron and a negatron. A positron is a positively charged
particle, and a negatron is negatively charged. Each particle possesses half the energy (minimum, 0.51
MeV) of the original x-ray photon. The particles continue to travel, causing ionization, until the positron
interacts with another electron, annihilates it, and produces two photons moving in opposite directions.
Because the energy level necessary for pair production is at least 1.02 MeV, it does not occur in the
diagnostic x-ray range.

Photodisintegration - also called Phototransmutation, in physics, nuclear reaction in which the absorption
of high-energy electromagnetic radiation (a gamma-ray photon) causes the absorbing nucleus to change
to another species by ejecting a subatomic particle, such as a proton, neutron, or alpha particle.

X-ray photons possessing a minimum of 10 MeV of energy can interact directly with the nucleus of the
atom, causing a state of excitement within the nucleus, followed by the emission of a nuclear fragment.

Melvin O. Allama, DVM (VSUR 4 1st Sem. SY 2020-2021, NVSU CVM)

This process is referred to as photodisintegration. It does not occur in diagnostic radiography, but does
occur in the nuclear industry.

Melvin O. Allama, DVM (VSUR 4 1st Sem. SY 2020-2021, NVSU CVM)