X-Ray Production

The components of an X-ray tube

High energy electron beam striking high-Z material

Electron Beam

High-Z Material

STOPPING POWER
2+ 2+ 2+

F(r)

b
electron

F(r)

nucleus

Coulomb force q *Q F (r ) = r *r
electron mass m charge -q

2 ze 2 Momentum = F dt = bv

distance r proton mass M velocity v charge +q F = q*q/r2 closest distance d

2 ze Energy = 2 2 mb v

High energy electron beam striking high-Z material produces Heat

Electron Beam

Heat

99% or more of the electron beam energy is deposited as heat! High-Z Material

High energy electron beam striking high-Z material produces Heat and X Rays.

Electron Beam

X Rays Less than 1% of electron beam energy!

High-Z Material

Creation of bremsstrahlung
Ein X-ray E= Ein - Eut
e-

Eut
Energy loss (MeV/g*cm2

Water Collision energy Lead

Bremsstrahlung

Lead Bremsstrahlung

Water

Electron energy (MeV)

Bremsstrahlung braking radiation

Collision with weakly-bound electrons slows electron beam and produces x rays.

Electron range in a Tungsten anode

Electron Range in Tungsten (W) 0,030 Range (mm) 0,020 0,010 0,000 0 50 100 150 200 Electron energy (keV)

Energy of x rays is function of electron beam energy, Emax

Low energy x rays are absorbed in target.

Number of x rays

Net x-ray spectrum

Energy (keV)

Emax

Bremsstrahlung x-ray properties electron beam interaction with looselybound electrons electron looses energy with successive ecollisions continuous spectrum of x-ray energies highest x-ray energy = Eelectron Interaction proportional to Z Interaction proportional to E2electron

Characteristic x rays produced by photoelectric absorption of tightly-bound electrons

electron (E>BEK) K-shell electron ejected

L shell K shell

Characteristic X Ray

L electron fills K shell

Characteristic x-ray energies electron beam interaction with tightlybound electrons K shell most important Eelectron > BEK discrete x-ray energies emitted x-ray energies = difference in BE maximum x-ray energy = BEK - BEL < BEK BEK proportional to Z2

Typical x-ray spectrum

Number of x rays

Bremsstrahlung (80-90%)

Characteristic (10-20%)

Energy (keV)

Emax

Fixed contra rotating anode

X ray tube design

high voltage + anode target

cathode filament

electron beam x rays

High voltage generation

transformer

Vout = VinN2/N1 Vin N1 primary cathode N2 rectifier filter capacitor anode

secondary

Types of rectification
AC

half wave

after filtering

full wave

after filtering

Three phase versus single phase

single phase

three phase

after filtration

High voltage ripple decreases spectrum energy

High voltage generator properties full-wave rectification better than half-wave three phase better than single phase twelve-pulse, full-wave better than sixpulse, full wave

HV generator controls peak kilovoltage (kVp) tube current (mA) exposure time (s) total energy delivered to tube: Energy = kVp * mA * s = kVp * mAs instantaneous power delivered to tube: Power = kVp * mA x-ray tube limited in both power and energy

Focal spot geometry

electron beam anode target

focal spot apparent focal spot

x rays

Focusing the electron beam increase resolution

Anode angle relates to beam width

Heal effect

Heal effect
Electron beam

Heal effect
Electron beam

Angulated focal spot properties target angulated 100-200 apparent focal spot foreshortened heat spread out over larger anode area apparent focal spot increases in size toward cathode apparent focal spot decreases in intensity toward anode - heel effect