Synchrotron-based transmitted, Compton and fluorescence photons from phantom materials

Abstract

Synchrotron-based transmitted, Compton and fluorescence photons from phantom materials composed of light elements, for example, Water, PMMA, Polyethylene, Bakelite, Muscle and Bone, are evaluated, using 10, 15, 20, 30 and 40 keV synchrotron X-rays. The SYRMEP beam line facility at Elettra is used as a source of X-rays. The present research is focused to assess the contribution of transmitted, Compton and fluorescence photons, for the above materials with a test phantom of small dimensions with simple approximations. The phantom structures are composed of light elements or mainly tissue substitutes routinely used to simulate radiation interactions in the human body or test objects. To standardize the image parameters, simple mechanical phantoms are designed. The total number of photons in the bounded area, fluorescent photons, interacted Compton photons, Compton photons for a given solid angle and the number of Compton photons detected at 90° are assessed, for the above phantom materials.