Photon Interactions part 2

1.4 PHOTON INTERACTIONS
1.4.1 Types of indirectly ionizing photon irradiations
􀀁 Interactions of photons with nuclei may be:
• Direct photon-nucleus interactions (photodisintegration)
or
• Interactions between the photon and the electrostatic field of the
nucleus (pair production).
􀀁 Photon-orbital electron interactions are characterized as
interactions between the photon and either
• A loosely bound electron (Compton effect, triplet production)
or
• A tightly bound electron (photoelectric effect).