Beam Hardening

Beam hardening is a phenomenon that occurs in X-ray imaging and radiation therapy when a beam of X-rays passes through a material, such as human tissue. As the X-rays travel through, lower-energy photons are absorbed more than higher-energy ones, resulting in a beam composed of primarily higher-energy photons. This can lead to distorted images or inaccurate dose distributions in medical applications, as the remaining spectrum behaves differently than the original beam. Understanding beam hardening is crucial for improving imaging quality and the effectiveness of radiation treatments.