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Radiography in Modern Industry - Kodak

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Figure 96: With a very small focal spot, an enlarged image can be obta<strong>in</strong>ed. The degree ofenlargement depends on the ratio of the source-film and source-specimen distances.Neutron <strong>Radiography</strong>Neutron radiography makes use of the differential absorption of neutrons--uncharged nuclearparticles hav<strong>in</strong>g about the mass of the nucleus of a hydrogen atom (proton)--rather than ofelectromagnetic radiation. Neutrons, <strong>in</strong> particular those travel<strong>in</strong>g at very low velocities (thermalneutrons), are absorbed <strong>in</strong> matter accord<strong>in</strong>g to laws that are very different from those that governthe absorption of x-rays and gamma rays. The absorption of x-rays and gamma rays <strong>in</strong>creases asthe atomic number of the absorber <strong>in</strong>creases, but this is not the case with thermal neutrons.Elements hav<strong>in</strong>g adjacent atomic numbers can have widely different absorptions, and some lowatomic number elements attenuate a beam of thermal neutrons more strongly than some highatomic number elements. For example, hydrogen has a much higher neutron attenuation thandoes lead. Thus, the height of the water <strong>in</strong> a lead standpipe can be determ<strong>in</strong>ed by neutronradiography--which is impossible with x-ray or gamma-ray radiography.Neutrons, be<strong>in</strong>g uncharged particles, <strong>in</strong>teract with matter to only a very slight degree. As a result,photographic materials are very <strong>in</strong>sensitive to the direct action of neutrons and, if neutrons are tobe used for imag<strong>in</strong>g, some method must be used to convert their energy <strong>in</strong>to a form more readilydetectable photographically.<strong>Radiography</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Modern</strong> <strong>Industry</strong> 156

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