What are the five basic x-ray interactions with matter?

The five basic x-ray interactions with matter include classical scattering, the Compton effect, the photoelectric effect, pair production, and photodisintegration.

Classical scattering, also known as Rayleigh scattering, occurs when x-rays interact with matter and are scattered without a loss of energy. The Compton effect involves the inelastic scattering of photons, where energy is transferred to electrons, resulting in a change in the direction and energy of the incoming x-ray. The photoelectric effect is a crucial interaction where an x-ray photon is completely absorbed by an atom, resulting in the ejection of an electron and the formation of a positively charged ion.

Pair production occurs when high-energy x-ray photons interact with the electric field of a nucleus, leading to the conversion of the photon’s energy into a particle-antiparticle pair (an electron and a positron) when the photon energy exceeds 1.022 MeV. Finally, photodisintegration involves the absorption of high-energy photons by a nucleus, causing it to emit a nucleon or a nuclear fragment.

The correct answer captures all the relevant interactions that are fundamental in understanding how x-rays interact with matter, which is essential for radiology physics. The other options include terms that are