What is an attenuation artifact?

Question

What is an attenuation artifact?

Answer 1

Attenuation artifacts arise from image reconstruction in various types of x-ray and other penetrating beam base imaging techniques such as CAT scans etc. In some parts of the object being imaged the imaging beam is attenuated, meaning reduced in intensity, to the point that there is no signal leaving only noise. The imaging system will then create random artifacts, meaning false features in the image.

Thus an attenuation artifact is a false image feature resulting from attenuation of the imaging beam.