Abstract: This chapter focuses on energy absorption mechanisms through which energy is transferred from photon to biologically important molecules in living cells exposed to radiation. The high-kinetic-energy electrons produced in the primary scattering process are the key element in the transfer of energy from the scattered photon to the molecular systems of the living cell. Partial stopping powers (attenuation coefficients) can be assigned for each of the scattering mechanisms. In this way, the relative importance of each of the processes can be examined separately at whatever energy is of interest. It is possible to partition the total stopping power for each of the scattering processes into the part that accounts for energy transferred and the part that accounts for energy absorbed. Separate cross-sections or attenuation coefficients can be constructed for the portion of energy transferred as well as the portion finally absorbed. For most of the photon radiations that might contribute to the ultimate dose in tissue equivalent material, the Compton process would be the most significant contributor to absorbed energy. In addition to the Compton process, which is of overriding importance for photon energies of 10 keV to 10 MeV, both the photoelectric process and, to a smaller extent, pair production contribute to the total deposition of energy.
Publication Year: 1998
Publication Date: 1998-01-01
Language: en
Type: book-chapter
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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