We present an improved model for the absorption of X-rays in the interstellar medium (ISM) intended for use with data from future X-ray missions with larger effective areas and increased energy resolution such as Chandra and the X-Ray Multiple Mirror mission, in the energy range 100 eV. Compared with previous work, our formalism includes recent updates to the photoionization cross section and revised abundances of the interstellar medium, as well as a treatment of interstellar grains and the H2 molecule. We review the theoretical and observational motivations behind these updates and provide a subroutine for the X-ray spectral analysis program XSPEC that incorporates our model.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1086/317016/pdf

On the Absorption of X‐Rays in the Interstellar Medium

Sample damage by X-rays and other radiation limits the resolution of structural studies on non-repetitive and non-reproducible structures such as individual biomolecules or cells(1). Cooling can slow sample deterioration, but cannot eliminate damage-induc

Potential for biomolecular imaging with femtosecond X-ray pulses

The computer code system PENELOPE (version 2008) performs Monte Carlo simulation of coupled
electron-photon transport in arbitrary materials for a wide energy range, from a few hundred eV to
about 1 GeV. Photon transport is simulated by means of the standard, detailed simulation scheme.
Electron and positron histories are generated on the basis of a mixed procedure, which combines
detailed simulation of hard events with condensed simulation of soft interactions. A geometry package
called PENGEOM permits the generation of random electron-photon showers in material systems
consisting of homogeneous bodies limited by quadric surfaces, i.e., planes, spheres, cylinders, etc. This
report is intended not only to serve as a manual of the PENELOPE code system, but also to provide the
user with the necessary information to understand the details of the Monte Carlo algorithm.

/pdf/penelope-2006-a-code-system-for-monte-carlo-simulation-of-43nx3zmw6c.pdf

PENELOPE-2006: A Code System for Monte Carlo Simulation of Electron and Photon Transport

Low-energy x-ray interaction coefficients: Photoabsorption, scattering, and reflection: E = 100–2000 eV Z = 1–94

A computer program and data base are presented which can be used to calculate, with a personal computer, photon cross sections for scattering, photoelectric absorption and pair production, as well as total attenuation coefficients, in any element, compound or mixture, at energies from 1 keV to 100 GeV.

/pdf/xcom-photon-cross-sections-on-a-personal-computer-4ynl8nlixa.pdf

XCOM: Photon cross sections on a personal computer

Tabulations are presented of the atomic form factor,F (α,Z), and the incoherent scattering function, S (x,Z), for values of x (=sin ϑ/2)/λ) from 0.005 A−1 to 109 A−1, for all elements A=1 to 100. These tables are constructed from available state‐of‐the‐art theoretical data, including the Pirenne formulas for Z=1, configuration‐into action results by Brown using Brown‐Fontana and Weiss correlated wavefunctions for Z=2 to 6 non‐relativistic Hartree‐Fock results by Cromer for Z=7 to 100 and a relativistic K‐shell analytic expression for F (x,Z) by Bethe Levinger for x≳10 A−1 for all elements Z=2 to 100. These tabulated values are graphically compared with available photon scatteringangular distributionmeasurements. Tables of coherent (Rayleigh) and incoherent (Compton) total scattering cross sections obtained by numerical integration over combinations of F 2(x,Z) with the Thomson formula and S (x,Z) with the Klum‐Nishina Formual, respectively, are presented for all elements Z=1 to 100, for photon energies 100 eV (λ=124 A) to 100 MeV (0.000124 A). The incoherent scattering cross sections also include the radiative and double‐Compton corrections as given by Mork. Similar tables are presented for the special cases of terminally‐bonded hydrogen and for the H2 molecule, interpolated and extrapolated from values calculated by Stewart et al., and by Bentley and Stewart using Kolos‐Roothaan wavefunctions.

D. T. Cromer

Papers

Atomic form factors, incoherent scattering functions, and photon scattering cross sections