X-ray photons

Matscheko and Ribberfors, A Compton scattering spectrometer for determining X-ray photon energy spectra. Phys. Med. Biol., 1987. 32(5) p. 577-594. 

If the detection system is an electronic, area detector, the crystal may be mounted with a convenient crystal direction parallel to an axis about which it may be rotated under tlie control of a computer that also records the diffracted intensities. Because tlie orientation of the crystal is known at the time an x-ray photon or neutron is detected at a particular point on the detector, the indices of the crystal planes causing the diffraction are uniquely detemiined. If... 

Figure Bl.25.1. Photoemission and Auger decay an atom absorbs an incident x-ray photon with energy hv and emits a photoelectron with kinetic energy E = hv - Ej. The excited ion decays either by the indicated Auger process or by x-ray fluorescence.

We have seen above how X-ray photons may eject an electron from the core orbitals of an atom, whether it is free or part of a molecule. So far, in all aspects of valence theory of molecules that we have considered, the core electrons have been assumed to be in orbitals which are unchanged from the AOs of the corresponding atoms. XPS demonstrates that this is almost, but not quite, true. 

Figure 8.21 shows schematically a set of lx, 2s, 2p and 3s core orbitals of an atom lower down the periodic table. The absorption of an X-ray photon produces a vacancy in, say, the lx orbital to give A and a resulting photoelectron which is of no further interest. The figure then shows that subsequent relaxation of A may be by either of two processes. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) involves an elecfron dropping down from, say, fhe 2p orbifal fo fill fhe lx... 

Xps is based on the photoelectric effect when an incident x-ray causes ejection of an electron from a surface atom. Figure 7 shows a schematic of the process for a hypothetical surface atom. In this process, an incident x-ray photon of energy hv impinges on the surface atom causing ejection of an electron, usually from a core electron energy level. This primary photoelectron is detected in xps. 

AH three interactions occur when x-rays are absorbed by the human body. The first two dominate, however, owing to the lower energy of the x-rays. If A/q x-ray photons incident on a tissue and N are transmitted, the absorbance, M, is proportional to the thickness, and linear attentuation coefficient ]1, of the absorbing tissue. 

Several additional terms related to the absorption of x-radiation require definition energy of a x-ray photon is properly represented in joules but more conveniently reported in eV fluence is the sum of the energy in a unit area intensity or flux is the fluence per unit time and the exposure is a measure of the number of ions produced in a mass of gas. The unit of exposure in medicine is the Rn ntgen, R, defined as the quantity of radiation required to produce 2.58 x C/kg of air. The absorbed dose for a tissue is a measure of energy dissipated per unit mass. The measure of absorbed dose most... 

Detectors. Two general types of detectors are used in x-ray medical imaging scintillation and gas ionisation. Scintillation detectors are used for both conventional projection and computerized tomographic imaging. Ionization detectors have been used only in CT appHcations. All detectors used in detection of x-ray radiation must be linear and have a maximum efficiency at the wavelength of the x-ray photon to be detected. 

Scintillation detectors are substances which fluoresce when stmck by x-radiation. Scintillation can, therefore, serve to convert x-ray photons into visible or ultraviolet light. Scintillation materials include thaUium-activatedcrystals of sodium iodide, NaI(Tl), potassium iodide, KI(T1), or cesium iodide, CsI(Tl) crystals of stilbene (a, P-diphenylethylene) [588-59-0] and anthracene [120-12-7] bismuth germanium oxide [12233-56-6] ... 

An x-ray photon can interact with an object in the following ways ... 

The x-ray photon does not interact and is transmitted through the object in the same direction that it impinged on the object. The energy of the photon does not change. 

The x-ray photon is completely absorbed. No x-ray photon leaves the object. All of the energy of the x-ray photon is transferred to the electrons within the object. 

An x-ray area detector can be used to collect the intensities of many reflections at a time. The crystal must be oriented in many different settings with respect to the incident beam but the detector needs to be positioned at only a few positions to collect all of the data. A charge coupled device (CCD) is used as the area detector on the Siemens SMART single crystal diffractometer system. The SMART detector consists of a flat 6-cm circular phosphorescent screen that converts x-ray photons to visible light photons. The screen is coupled to a tapered fiber optics bundle which is then coupled to a one inch by one inch square CCD chip. The CCD chip has 1024 x 1024 pixels each of which stores an electrical charge proportional to the number of... 

Position Sensitive Detectors. By replacing the scintillation detector in a conventional powder diffractometer with a Position Sensitive Detector (PSD), it is possible to speed data collection. For each x-ray photon received a PSD records the angle at which it was detected. Typically, a conventional scintillation detector records x-ray photons in a range of a few hundredths of a degree at a time. A PSD can measure many degrees (in 20) of a powder pattern simultaneously. Thus, for small samples, data collection, which could require hours with a conventional detector, could take minutes or even seconds with a PSD. 

Area Detectors. A two-dimensional or area detector attached to a powder diffractometer can gready decrease data collection time. Many diffraction appHcations require so much time with a conventional detector that they are only feasible if an area detector is attached to the iastmment. The Siemens General Area Detector Diffraction System (GADDS) uses a multiwire area detector (Fig. 17). This detector measures an x- and ajy-position for each x-ray photon detected. The appHcations foUow. 

X-ray fluorescence spectrometry is a technique for measuring the elemental composition of samples. The basis of the technique is the relationship between the wavelength or energy of the emitted incoherently scattered x-ray photons and the atomic number of the element. This relationship estabHshed in 1913 is... 

Radiographic tests are made on pipeline welds, pressure vessels, nuclear fuel rods, and other critical materials and components that may contain three-dimensional voids, inclusions, gaps or cracks that are aligned so that the critical areas are parallel to the x-ray beam. Since penetrating radiation tests depend upon the absorption properties of materials on x-ray photons, the tests can reveal changes in thickness and density and the presence of inclusions in the material. 

X-ray fluoroscopy is used for direct on-line examination. A fluorescent screen is used to convert x-ray photons into visible light photons. A television camera receives the visible image and displays it on a television screen (see Fig. 19). This type of system is used for security screening of carry-on luggage at airports. 

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