What is the anode heel effect caused by?

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Multiple Choice

What is the anode heel effect caused by?

Explanation:
The anode heel effect comes from the way the anode target is angled. Because the focal spot sits on a tilted surface, photons that exit toward the anode side must pass through more of the anode material and are more likely to be absorbed than photons exiting toward the cathode side. This self-absorption creates a gradient in beam intensity across the field: the cathode side is brighter, while the anode side is dimmer. This effect is not due to scattering in the patient, filament evaporation, or grid reflections; those phenomena don’t produce the inherent front-to-back intensity variation caused by absorption within the angled anode.

The anode heel effect comes from the way the anode target is angled. Because the focal spot sits on a tilted surface, photons that exit toward the anode side must pass through more of the anode material and are more likely to be absorbed than photons exiting toward the cathode side. This self-absorption creates a gradient in beam intensity across the field: the cathode side is brighter, while the anode side is dimmer. This effect is not due to scattering in the patient, filament evaporation, or grid reflections; those phenomena don’t produce the inherent front-to-back intensity variation caused by absorption within the angled anode.

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