What is the name of the process that reduces the intensity of an X-ray beam by absorption or scattering?

The process that reduces the intensity of an X-ray beam through mechanisms such as absorption or scattering is known as attenuation. In radiography, attenuation occurs as X-rays pass through various materials, where some of the X-ray photons are absorbed by the matter they encounter while others are scattered, changing their direction. This phenomenon is crucial in imaging because it impacts the quality and clarity of the radiographic results.

Understanding attenuation is important for determining how the thickness and composition of objects influence the amount of radiation that ultimately reaches the detector. The varying degrees of attenuation across different materials allow for contrast in images, which is essential for accurate diagnosis.

While absorption specifically refers to the process where the energy of the X-ray photons is absorbed by the material, scattering involves a change in direction of the X-ray photons without necessarily being absorbed. Radiation loss is not a standard term recognized in this context, and dissipation does not specifically describe the interactions between X-rays and matter as they pertain to imaging. Therefore, attenuation encompasses both absorption and scattering, making it the most accurate term for describing the overall reduction in intensity of an X-ray beam.