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Positronium: Review of symmetry, conserved quantities and decay for the radiological physicist
Author(s) -
Harpen Michael D.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
medical physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.473
H-Index - 180
eISSN - 2473-4209
pISSN - 0094-2405
DOI - 10.1118/1.1630494
Subject(s) - positronium , physics , medical physicist , medical physics , positron emission tomography , medical imaging , modality (human–computer interaction) , symmetry (geometry) , nuclear medicine , radiological weapon , image resolution , positron , medicine , radiology , electron , computer science , optics , nuclear physics , artificial intelligence , mathematics , geometry
The PET‐CT scanner, which overlays a high spatial resolution CT image on a relatively low resolution physiologic PET image, has greatly increased the efficacy of the PET imaging modality. With the resulting increase in the presence of PET imaging in the radiologic and medical physics communities, medical physicists can expect professional responsibilities in acceptance testing, quality assurance, radiation safety and resident teaching of this new modality. With this in mind we present a review of a subtle aspect of PET: the formation, symmetry properties and decay of positronium; the hydrogen like positron–electron complex which forms prior to annihilation.