Radiographic Imaging and Interactions with Matter

Vocabulary flashcards covering x-ray beam types, five primary x-ray interactions with matter, and image receptor concepts.

Primary beam

X-rays located between the tube and the patient.

Photoelectric Effect

An interaction with matter where an incoming photon has enough energy to eject an inner shell electron from its orbit, resulting in complete absorption of the incoming photon.

Photoelectron

The electron ejected from an inner shell orbit during a photoelectric interaction.

Compton Effect

An interaction where an incoming photon loses energy by interacting with an outer shell electron, ejecting the electron, and traveling in a different direction as a scattered photon.

Classical Coherent

A very low-energy interaction that is absorbed in the patient's skin and never interacts with the image receptor.

Pair production

An interaction with matter occurring above the diagnostic range at $1.02\,\text{MeV}$.

Photodisintegration

An interaction with matter occurring above the diagnostic range at $10\,\text{MeV}$.

Exit or remnant radiation

Radiation located between the patient and the image receptor.

Latent image

The invisible image formed on the image receptor that must be processed to create the manifest image.

Manifest image

The visible image formed after processing the latent image.