X-Ray Production, Interaction, and Detection in Diagnostic Imaging

X rays and Y rays are forms of electromagnetic radiation that are energetic enough that when interacting with atoms, they have the potential of liberating electrons from the atoms that bind them. When an atom or molecule is stripped of an electron, an ion pair forms, consisting of the negatively charged electron (e−) and the positive atom or molecule. X rays and I³ rays, therefore, are forms of ionizing radiation, and this feature fundamentally distinguishes these rays from the rest of the electromagnetic spectrum.