Interaction with matter

X rays interact with matter in three main ways, through photoabsorption, Compton scattering, and Rayleigh scattering. The strength of these interactions depend on the energy of the X rays and the elemental composition of the material, but not much on chemical properties since the X ray photon energy is much higher than chemical binding energies. Photoabsorption or photoelectric absorption is the dominant interaction mechanism in the soft X ray regime and for the lower hard X ray energies. At higher energies, Compton scattering dominates.