Radiation Physics for Medical Physiscists - E.B. Podgorsak
Preface
This book is intended as a textbook for a course in radiation physics in academic
medical physics graduate programs. The book may also be of interest
to the large number of professionals, not only physicists, who in their daily
occupations deal with various aspects of medical physics and have a need to
improve their understanding of radiation physics.
Medical physics is a rapidly growing specialty of physics, concerned with
the application of physics to medicine mainly, but not exclusively, in the application
of ionizing radiation to diagnosis and treatment of human disease.
In contrast to other physics specialties, such as nuclear physics, solid-state
physics, and high-energy physics, studies of modern medical physics attract
a much broader base of professionals including graduate students in medical
physics, medical residents and technology students in radiation oncology
and diagnostic imaging, students in biomedical engineering, and students in
radiation safety and radiation dosimetry educational programs. These professionals
have diverse background knowledge of physics and mathematics, but
they all have a common desire to improve their knowledge of the physics that
underlies the application of ionizing radiation in diagnosis and treatment of
disease.
The main target audience for this book is graduate students in medical
physics and these students are assumed to possess the necessary background
in physics and mathematics to be able to follow and master the complete
textbook. Medical residents, technology students and biomedical engineering
students, on the other hand, may find certain sections too challenging or
esoteric; however, there are many sections in the book that they may find
useful and interesting in their studies. Candidates preparing for professional
certification exams in any of the medical physics subspecialties should find
the material useful and some of the material would also help candidates
preparing for certification examinations in medical dosimetry or radiationrelated
medical specialties.
Numerous textbooks that cover the various subspecialties of medical
physics are available but they generally make a transition from elementary
basic physics directly to the intricacies of the given medical physics subspecialty.
The intent of this textbook is to provide the missing link between the
elementary physics and the physics of the subspecialties.
The textbook is based on notes that I developed over the past 25 years
of teaching radiation physics to M.Sc. and Ph.D. students in medical physics
at McGill University. It contains eight chapters, each chapter covering a specific
group of subjects related to radiation physics that, in my opinion, form
the basic knowledge required from professionals working in contemporary
medical physics. Most of the subjects covered in this textbook can be found
discussed in greater detail in many other specialized physics texts, such as
nuclear physics, quantum mechanics, modern physics, etc.; however, these
texts are aimed at students in a specific physics specialty. They provide more
in-depth knowledge of the particular specialty but provide no evident link
with medical physics. Some of these important specialized texts are listed in
the bibliography at the end of this book for the benefit of readers who wish
to attain a better insight into the subjects discussed. To recognize the importance
of relevant history for understanding of modern physics, Appendix 1
provides short biographies on scientists whose work is discussed in this book.
I am indebted to my colleagues in the Medical Physics Department of
the McGill University Health Centre for their encouragement, approval and
tolerance of my concentrating on the book during the past year. I am greatly
indebted to my colleagues Dr. Fran¸cois DeBlois, Dr. Geoffrey Dean, Dr. Slobodan
Devic, Michael D.C. Evans, Marina Olivares, William Parker, Horacio
Patrocinio, Dr. Jan P. Seuntjens and Dr. Frank Verhaegen who helped me
with discussions on specific topics as well as with advice on how to present
certain ideas to make the text flow better. I also appreciate constructive comments
from Dr. Jos´e M. Fernandez-Varea from the University of Barcelona.
I would also like to thank my colleague Dr. Wamied Abdel-Rahman, not
only for helpful discussions of the subject matter, but also for his skillful
drawing of the 100 figures presented in the textbook. Secretarial help from
Margery Knewstubb and Tatjana Niˇsi´c is also very much appreciated.
Special thanks are due to my former teachers Drs. John R. Cameron and
Paul R. Moran from the University of Wisconsin and Drs. Harold E. Johns
and John R. Cunningham from the University of Toronto who introduced me
to medical physics, a truly rewarding profession that brings together one’s
love of physics and compassion for patients.
Finally, I gratefully acknowledge that the completion of this book could
not have been accomplished without the support and encouragement of my
spouse Mariana. Especially appreciated are her enthusiasm for the project
and her tolerance of the seemingly endless hours I spent on the project during
the past year.
McGill University, Montr´eal,
Ervin B. Podgorˇsak
April 2005
Download
http://s18.alxa.net/s18/srvs2/02/003....Podgorsak.rar
Preface
This book is intended as a textbook for a course in radiation physics in academic
medical physics graduate programs. The book may also be of interest
to the large number of professionals, not only physicists, who in their daily
occupations deal with various aspects of medical physics and have a need to
improve their understanding of radiation physics.
Medical physics is a rapidly growing specialty of physics, concerned with
the application of physics to medicine mainly, but not exclusively, in the application
of ionizing radiation to diagnosis and treatment of human disease.
In contrast to other physics specialties, such as nuclear physics, solid-state
physics, and high-energy physics, studies of modern medical physics attract
a much broader base of professionals including graduate students in medical
physics, medical residents and technology students in radiation oncology
and diagnostic imaging, students in biomedical engineering, and students in
radiation safety and radiation dosimetry educational programs. These professionals
have diverse background knowledge of physics and mathematics, but
they all have a common desire to improve their knowledge of the physics that
underlies the application of ionizing radiation in diagnosis and treatment of
disease.
The main target audience for this book is graduate students in medical
physics and these students are assumed to possess the necessary background
in physics and mathematics to be able to follow and master the complete
textbook. Medical residents, technology students and biomedical engineering
students, on the other hand, may find certain sections too challenging or
esoteric; however, there are many sections in the book that they may find
useful and interesting in their studies. Candidates preparing for professional
certification exams in any of the medical physics subspecialties should find
the material useful and some of the material would also help candidates
preparing for certification examinations in medical dosimetry or radiationrelated
medical specialties.
Numerous textbooks that cover the various subspecialties of medical
physics are available but they generally make a transition from elementary
basic physics directly to the intricacies of the given medical physics subspecialty.
The intent of this textbook is to provide the missing link between the
elementary physics and the physics of the subspecialties.
The textbook is based on notes that I developed over the past 25 years
of teaching radiation physics to M.Sc. and Ph.D. students in medical physics
at McGill University. It contains eight chapters, each chapter covering a specific
group of subjects related to radiation physics that, in my opinion, form
the basic knowledge required from professionals working in contemporary
medical physics. Most of the subjects covered in this textbook can be found
discussed in greater detail in many other specialized physics texts, such as
nuclear physics, quantum mechanics, modern physics, etc.; however, these
texts are aimed at students in a specific physics specialty. They provide more
in-depth knowledge of the particular specialty but provide no evident link
with medical physics. Some of these important specialized texts are listed in
the bibliography at the end of this book for the benefit of readers who wish
to attain a better insight into the subjects discussed. To recognize the importance
of relevant history for understanding of modern physics, Appendix 1
provides short biographies on scientists whose work is discussed in this book.
I am indebted to my colleagues in the Medical Physics Department of
the McGill University Health Centre for their encouragement, approval and
tolerance of my concentrating on the book during the past year. I am greatly
indebted to my colleagues Dr. Fran¸cois DeBlois, Dr. Geoffrey Dean, Dr. Slobodan
Devic, Michael D.C. Evans, Marina Olivares, William Parker, Horacio
Patrocinio, Dr. Jan P. Seuntjens and Dr. Frank Verhaegen who helped me
with discussions on specific topics as well as with advice on how to present
certain ideas to make the text flow better. I also appreciate constructive comments
from Dr. Jos´e M. Fernandez-Varea from the University of Barcelona.
I would also like to thank my colleague Dr. Wamied Abdel-Rahman, not
only for helpful discussions of the subject matter, but also for his skillful
drawing of the 100 figures presented in the textbook. Secretarial help from
Margery Knewstubb and Tatjana Niˇsi´c is also very much appreciated.
Special thanks are due to my former teachers Drs. John R. Cameron and
Paul R. Moran from the University of Wisconsin and Drs. Harold E. Johns
and John R. Cunningham from the University of Toronto who introduced me
to medical physics, a truly rewarding profession that brings together one’s
love of physics and compassion for patients.
Finally, I gratefully acknowledge that the completion of this book could
not have been accomplished without the support and encouragement of my
spouse Mariana. Especially appreciated are her enthusiasm for the project
and her tolerance of the seemingly endless hours I spent on the project during
the past year.
McGill University, Montr´eal,
Ervin B. Podgorˇsak
April 2005
Download
http://s18.alxa.net/s18/srvs2/02/003....Podgorsak.rar