Which processes contribute to secondary radiation?

Secondary radiation is generated when primary radiation interacts with matter, leading to the production of additional photons or particles. In the context of fluoroscopy and other radiology practices, several key interactions contribute to this process.

The photoelectric effect, coherent scattering, and Compton scattering are three fundamental interactions that can lead to the production of secondary radiation.

The photoelectric effect occurs when a photon is completely absorbed by an atom, causing the ejection of one of its inner shell electrons. This absorption process results in the emission of secondary radiation as the atom may emit characteristic X-rays or Auger electrons when electrons from higher energy levels fall into the lower energy shell to fill the vacancy.

Coherent scattering, also known as elastic scattering, involves the interaction of low-energy photons with matter, where these photons are scattered without losing energy. Although this primarily redirects the existing photons, it can also lead to subtle increases in secondary radiation due to changes in the trajectory and phase of the photons.

Compton scattering involves the collision of a photon with a loosely bound outer electron of an atom, resulting in a scattered photon and a recoiling electron. This process not only results in a loss of energy from the first photon but can also generate secondary photons as the energy is redistributed in a