Axial Scanning with 900 MeV Alpha Particles

Abstract

High energy (fast) alpha particles can be used for nondestructive radiography of the human body because small electron density changes are reflected in measurable alpha particle energy changes. Using high resolution radiation detectors and computer techniques for transaxial reconstruction, it is possible to present information that is not available from conventional radiographs with doses one-tenth that required for photon scanning procedures incorporated in the EMI or similar scanners.