ELECTRON INTERACTION

WITH MATTER
Jefferson King A. Fontilar, RRT
RANGE
• Refers to the maximum distance travelled by the
electron beam in absorbing medium before completely losing all its
energy
• Also termed as Path Length
• Measured in micron or micrometer (µm)
RANGE IS DEPENDEDT OF
THE FOLLOWING

• Average energy of the electron beam

• Density thickness of the interacting medium
• Atomic number of the absorbing medium
 The number of ion pairs formed per unit
path length for a given type of radiation
SPECIFIC As electron travel inside the interacting
IONIZATION medium it gradually loses its Kinetic Energy
(SI) by way of ionization and excitation.

Generally, the value of specific ionization

increased with decreasing electron energy.
SI IS DEPENDED ON THE FOLLOWING

DENSITY ELECTRON
THICKNESS RANGE
LINEAR ENERGY TRANSFER (LET)
• The rate at which energy is transferred from
ionizing radiation to soft tissue
• LET is used to measure the rate of radiation energy absorption per
unit path length travelled by electron in the interacting medium.
• Expressed in keV/ µm.
• The LET of diagnostic x-rays is about 3 keV/µm, whereas the LET
of 5 MeV alpha particles is 100 keV/µm.
 SPECIFIC LINERAR
TYPES OF RANGE IONIZATION ENERGY
IONIZING (SI) TRANSFE
RADIATION R (LET)
Alpha Low High High
Beta High Low Low
X-ray and Gamma Ray High Low Low
ATTENUATION
• The product of scattering and absorption
• Refers to the partial absorption of energy
• A term used to describe the rate of absorption of x-rays as it goes
through tissue.
• The energy of x-ray affect the degree of attenuation, as the
energy of x-ray increase.
• As the atomic number increases, the probability for an x-ray
beam to be absorbed by the material also increase.
 BREMSSTRAHLUNG

• Also known as White Radiation

• They are high energy x-rays
• Responsible for production of an image in
the radiograph
• Useful radiation compared to characteristic
x-rays
• Incident electron penetrates the shell up to
the nuclear space, it decelerates, and
changes velocity then produces EMR
called Bremsstrahlung.
CHARACTERISTIC X-RAY
• These are low energy x-rays

• Contributes nothing to the production

of an image in the radiograph

filling up
• Produced x-rays from
the vacancy on the
orbital shell
 X-ray Production

CONCEPT MAP OF X-RAY

PRODUCTION
Bremsstrahlung Characteristic

Occurs when a
Results from slowing
projectile electron
down of projectile
interacts with k-shell
electron
electron in the target

because an elastic
as the electron then the outer shell
force of attraction then the electron is then the target atom is which makes atom
approaches the electron fill-in the
occurs between removed ionized unstable
nucleus inner shell vacancy
electron & nucleus

resulting to emission of
slows or breaks down then change course
EMR

which leaves Generally, at 100 kVP, 15%

Characteristic which gives off their
decreased KE in potential energy as x-

and 85% Bremsstrahlung are produced.

different direction ray photon

resulting in

But if the energy below

69 kVp, the x-ray beam is
polyenergetic photon

100% Bremsstrahlung.
EXCITATION
• It results to the production of EMR
either in a form of Heat or
Infrared.

• There is no removal of
electron, and no ionization
occurs.

• Incident electron excites (with

vibration) in an atom
IONIZATION
• Refers to the removal of an electron within an atom
• Produces characteristic x-rays and ion pair
• Complete removal of an electron from an atom following the
transfer of energy from a passing charged particle
ION PAIR
• It is the ejected electron and the orbital electron from which it was
separated.

• Note:
• In every single exposure, 99% heat is generated from the x-ray tube and
only 1% x-ray is produced.
• In this 1% x-ray, only 10-20% are characteristics x-rays and 80-90% are
bremsstrahlung.