PNRA Course on

Radiation Safety
Dr. Muhammad Tufail
(Izaz-i-Fazeelat)
1
Lecture 4
INTERACTION OF FAST
ELECTRONS
PNRA Course on
Radiation Safety
Dr. Muhammad Tufail
(Izaz-i-Fazeelat)
2
Interaction of Fast Electrons
Path traversed
Specific energy loss
Electron range and transmission curve
Monoenergetic electron absorption
Beta particle absorption
Backscattering
Positron Interactions


PNRA Course on
Radiation Safety
Dr. Muhammad Tufail
(Izaz-i-Fazeelat)
3
Electrons Path
Follow zigzag path through absorbing
material
Interact with orbital electrons of the material
Large fraction of energy is lost in a single
encounter
PNRA Course on
Radiation Safety
Dr. Muhammad Tufail
(Izaz-i-Fazeelat)
4
Specific Energy Loss
Bethe formula




where | = v/c
Energy loss is
More when electrons pass through the medium of high
Z & N
Less when energy of electrons is more
Smaller than that of proton and alphas of same energy
( )
( )( )
( ) ( )
|
|
|
|
.
|

\
|
+ +
+

=
|
.
|

\
|

2
2 2
2 2
2
2
2
0
4
1 1
8
1
1
1 1 2 2 ln
1 2
ln
2
| |
| |
|
t
I
E v m
v m
NZ e
dx
dE
o
PNRA Course on
Radiation Safety
Dr. Muhammad Tufail
(Izaz-i-Fazeelat)
5
Specific Energy Loss conti.
Lose energy by two ways:
Coulomb interaction
Radiative processes
Bremsstrahulung

Linear specific loss by radiative process





( )
|
|
.
|

\
|

+
=
|
.
|

\
|

3
4 2
ln 4
137
1
2 4 2
4
c m
E
c m
e Z NEZ
dx
dE
o o r
PNRA Course on
Radiation Safety
Dr. Muhammad Tufail
(Izaz-i-Fazeelat)
6
Specific Energy Loss conti.
Total energy lose
Collisional
Radiative
The ratio of radiative loss to collisional loss
is



E energy in MeV
r c
dx
dE
dx
dE
dx
dE
|
.
|

\
|
+
|
.
|

\
|
=
( )
( ) 700
EZ
dx dE
dx dE
c
r
=
PNRA Course on
Radiation Safety
Dr. Muhammad Tufail
(Izaz-i-Fazeelat)
7
Specific Energy Loss conti.
Radiative losses are significant at:
greater electron energies
high Z materials
Coulomb losses are prominent at:
low electron energies through
ionization & excitation
PNRA Course on
Radiation Safety
Dr. Muhammad Tufail
(Izaz-i-Fazeelat)
8
Electron Transmission
Monoenergetic electrons
Range (R)
Extrapolation of the linear portion of the
transmission curve to zero give range
Path length (range) is 100s time greater than the
charged particles of same energy.
Range and material density
low density material, R ~ 2 mm/MeV
high density material, R ~ 1 mm/MeV
PNRA Course on
Radiation Safety
Dr. Muhammad Tufail
(Izaz-i-Fazeelat)
9
Electrons Transmission conti.
PNRA Course on
Radiation Safety
Dr. Muhammad Tufail
(Izaz-i-Fazeelat)
10
Electrons Transmission conti.
PNRA Course on
Radiation Safety
Dr. Muhammad Tufail
(Izaz-i-Fazeelat)
11
Electrons Transmission conti.
Beta particles
The transmission curve is different from that
for mono-energetic electrons
For majority of beta spectra curve is
nearly exponential



Io counting rate without absorber
I counting rate with absorber
t absorber thickness g/cm
2

m
absorption coefficient (cm
2
/g)
t
o
m
e I I

=
PNRA Course on
Radiation Safety
Dr. Muhammad Tufail
(Izaz-i-Fazeelat)
12
Electrons Transmission conti.
PNRA Course on
Radiation Safety
Dr. Muhammad Tufail
(Izaz-i-Fazeelat)
13
Electrons Transmission conti.
Relation between
m
& E
m




Energy range relations
E
m
s 2.5 MeV

E
m
> 2.5 MeV

E
m
end point energy (MeV);
density (g / cm
3
);
R
m
maximum range (cm)
14 . 1
17
m
m
E
= =

( )
( ) ( )
m
E
m m
E R
ln 095 . 0 265 . 1
412 . 0

=
( )
016 . 0
53 . 0

=
m m
E R
PNRA Course on
Radiation Safety
Dr. Muhammad Tufail
(Izaz-i-Fazeelat)
14
Electrons Transmission conti.
Backscattering
Re-emergence of electrons after entering in
an absorber
Deflection of electrons at large angles
It is prominent for
electrons with low incident energy
absorbers with high atomic number


PNRA Course on
Radiation Safety
Dr. Muhammad Tufail
(Izaz-i-Fazeelat)
15
Electrons Transmission conti.
PNRA Course on
Radiation Safety
Dr. Muhammad Tufail
(Izaz-i-Fazeelat)
16
Electrons Transmission conti.
Backscattering affects the
Response of energy measuring detectors
Amount of incident electrons
backscattering at the entrance window of a detector
Re-emission of electrons from the thick backing,
a | source
PNRA Course on
Radiation Safety
Dr. Muhammad Tufail
(Izaz-i-Fazeelat)
17
Positron Interaction
Interactions are similar to electron
interactions except that
Coulomb interactions with electrons are
attractive
Annihilation of positron and production of two
photons of energy 0.511 MeV