Basics of Radiation Interactions in Matter

• Both electromagnetic radiation (photons) and charged particles interact with matter and by different interaction processes result in energy deposition. This is the core of virtually all nuclear medicine applications because it is from the charged-particle interactions and related energy depositions that we can measure the scintillation light in SPECT and PET systems and from this create diagnostic images and perform radionuclide therapy for treatment of cancer and other diseases. This chapter provides the basic knowledge of radiation transport and how the particles are affected by the composition of the material in which they travel (e.g., tissue composition in a patient or a detector material). The most important interaction processes for photons and charged particles are described in detail for energies, relevant for nuclear medicine applications, together with their related cross sections (probability for interactions) and energy, angular, and material dependence. Although they are not frequently used in nuclear-medicine applications, the chapter describes the neutron and its type of interactions. The ranges of the path length of charged particles and how this depends on type of particle and kinetic energy are important factors to consider for dosimetry calculations and for radiation protection. The chapter describes the relations between particle range and the deposition of energy per unit length for different types of particles.

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Radiologi och bildbehandling (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Medical Imaging (hsv//eng)

Publikations- och innehållstyp

kap (ämneskategori)

ref (ämneskategori)