Which CT artifact is caused by a significant increase in the average energy of the x-ray beam?

The correct answer is indeed beam hardening artifact. This artifact occurs when the average energy of the x-ray beam increases significantly as it passes through denser materials. In the context of CT imaging, as x-rays travel through various tissues, they undergo a process called beam hardening. This means that lower-energy x-rays are absorbed more than higher-energy ones, resulting in a shift in the energy spectrum of the x-ray beam that reaches the detector. Consequently, the images produced can show dark bands or streaks that do not accurately represent the tissues being imaged, leading to distorted views of structures.

An understanding of beam hardening is essential for interpreting CT images accurately. It is particularly relevant in areas with high-density materials, such as bones, where the effect can be more pronounced, resulting in noticeable visual artifacts.

Other artifacts, while they may be encountered in CT imaging, involve different mechanisms. Motion artifacts are a result of patient movement during the scanning process. Ring artifacts are associated with detector malfunction or miscalibration, which leads to inconsistencies in the data collected. Partial volume averaging arises when a voxel encompasses multiple tissue types, resulting in a mixture of signals that can blur image details. Each of these artifacts has distinct causes and characteristics that differentiate them from