Anomalous Rayleigh scattering with dilute concentrations of elements of biological importance

Abstract

The anomalous scattering factor (ASF) correction to the relativistic form-factor approximation for Rayleigh scattering is examined in support of its utilization in radiographic imaging. ASF corrected total cross-section data have been generated for a low resolution grid for the Monte Carlo code EGS4 for the biologically important elements, K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Cu and Zn. Points in the fixed energy grid used by EGS4 as well as 8 other points in the vicinity of the K-edge have been chosen to achieve an uncertainty in the ASF component of 20% according to the Thomas–Reiche–Kuhn sum rule and an energy resolution of 20 eV. Such data is useful for analysis of imaging with a quasi-monoenergetic source. Corrections to the sampled distribution of outgoing photons, due to ASF, are given and new total cross-section data including that of the photoelectric effect have been computed using the Slater exchange self-consistent potential with the Latter tail. A measurement of Rayleigh scattering in a dilute aqueous solution of manganese (II) was performed, this system enabling determination of the absolute cross-section, although background subtraction was necessary to remove K β fluorescence and resonant Raman scattering occurring within several 100 eV of the edge. Measurements confirm the presence of below edge bound–bound structure and variation in the structure due to the ionic state that are not currently included in tabulations.