Explain what is meant by the Compton effect when X-ray photons interact with matter.
The diagram below shows a parallel beam of X-rays incident normally on some muscle tissue.
The attenuation coefficient of the muscle tissue is 0.95 cm-1. The intensity of the incident beam is 3.8 × 103 W m-2. There is a small tumor 2.4 cm from the surface of the muscle tissue. The cross-sectional area of the tumor normal to the beam is 2.8 × 10-4 m2.
The beam is switched on for 25 s.
Calculate the total X-ray energy incident on the tumor in this period of 25 s.
Conventional 2D X-ray imaging was unable to clearly resolve the tumor because the attenuation coefficients of the tumor and the muscle tissue were very similar.
Name an alternative X-ray imaging method that would resolve this issue, and explain its advantage.
