Determining scatter ratios at high energies (> ~ 1MeV) presents challenges not immediately obvious from measurements at conventional X-ray energies. This includes reduced attenuation even in heavy elements as well as a stronger forward bias of scattering. In order to check the reliability of different measurement setups with regard to material thicknesses, distances, and collimation, attenuation and scattering were separately simulated using a Monte Carlo model. The simulation results help in understanding the sources of radiation scattered into the detection area, thereby aiding in eliminating undesired contributions.
Correctly modeling the continuous photon spectrum of X-ray tubes requires detailed knowledge of the probability distribution of electron properties at the time of X-ray photon creation, in particular electron energy, depth within the target, and direction of movement. Semi-analytical X-ray spectrum models frequently assume a very simplified or even uniform distribution of electron direction. In the case of thick targets and small deviations from normal incidence this is a useful approximation. For thin targets or large deviations from normal incidence the correct distribution of electron directions becomes more important. As calculation speed is an important aspect of semi-analytical models compared to Monte Carlo simulations, fast evaluation of the distribution of electron properties is highly desirable. The approach presented here numerically evaluates the evolution of a discrete probability distribution of electron properties due to single electron scatter interactions within a plane target. This allows capturing the important aspects of the electron distribution while achieving runtimes of a few seconds up to a minute on a standard office PC.