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Radiography
The number of atoms/cm3 (n) and the proportionality constant (s) are usually combined
to yield the linear attenuation coefficient (m). Therefore the equation becomes:
Where:
Introduction
History
Present State
Future Direction
Physics of Radiography
Nature of Penetrating
Radiation
X-rays
Gamma Rays
Activity
Decay Rate
-Carbon 14 Dating
Ionization
Inverse Square Law
Interaction of RT/Matter
Attenuation Coefficient
Half-Value Layer
Sources of Attenuation
-Compton Scattering
Geometric Unsharpness
Filters in Radiography
Scatter/Radiation Control
Radiation Safety
Equipment & Materials
X-ray Generators
Radio Isotope Sources
Radiographic Film
Exposure Vaults
Techniques & Calibrations
Imaging Consideration
Contrast
Definition
Radiographic Density
Characteristic Curves
Exposure Calculations
Controlling Quality
Film Processing
Viewing Radiographs
Radiograph Interp-Welds
Radiograph Interp - Castings
Advanced Techniques
Real-time Radiography
Computed Tomography
XRSIM
References
Quizzes
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7/26/2011 7:32 AM
Attenuation Coefficient
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the intensity of the energy transmitted through a material when the incident x-ray
intensity, the material and the material thickness are known.
the intensity of the incident x-ray energy when the transmitted x-ray intensity,
material, and material thickness are known.
the thickness of the material when the incident and transmitted intensity, and the
material are known.
the material can be determined from the value of when the incident and
transmitted intensity, and the material thickness are known.
Linear attenuation coefficients can sometimes be found in the literature. However, it is
often easier to locate attenuation data in terms of the mass attenuation coefficient.
Tables and graphs of the mass attenuation coefficients for all of the elements Z = 1 to 92,
and for compounds and mixtures of radiological interest are available at the National
Institute for Standards and Technology website. The tables on the NIST website cover
energies of photons (x-ray, gamma ray, bremsstrahlung) from 1 keV to 20 MeV. A mass
attenuation coefficient can easily be converted to a linear attenuation coefficient as
discussed below.
Mass Attenuation Coefficient and Conversion to Linear Attenuation Coefficient
Since a linear attenuation coefficient is dependent on the density of a material, the mass
attenuation coefficient is often reported for convenience. Consider water for example.
The linear attenuation for water vapor is much lower than it is for ice because the
molecules are more spread out in vapor so the chance of a photon encounter with a water
particle is less. Normalizing m by dividing it by the density of the element or compound
will produce a value that is constant for a particular element or compound. This constant
(m/r) is known as the mass attenuation coefficient and has units of cm2/gm.
To convert a mass attenuation coefficient (m/r) to a linear attenuation coefficient (m),
simply multiply it by the density (r) of the material.
7/26/2011 7:32 AM
Attenuation Coefficient
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7/26/2011 7:32 AM