Final answer:
High kilovoltage in x-ray photons is associated with increased occurrence of the Compton effect and the production of characteristic x-rays from heavy elements like tungsten, which requires significant accelerating voltage for high energy photons.
Step-by-step explanation:
The interaction between x-ray photons and matter that involves the scattering from an outer electron shell of the atom is most associated with high kilovoltage. With increasing x-ray energy, the Compton effect becomes more prominent and chemical composition characterized by atomic number Z matters less in attenuation. While high-kilovoltage x-rays are necessary to produce characteristic x-rays, as with tungsten anodes in x-ray tubes requiring at least 72.5 kV, these higher energy x-rays result in less contrast than low-energy x-rays. This is due to greater absorption in thicker materials and less scattering compared to high-contrast images obtained from low-energy x-rays.
In medical imaging, substances with large atomic numbers, like barium or iodine, are sometimes injected to create greater contrast and better visualize structures such as the gastrointestinal tract. X-ray production and their interaction with matter, such as the Compton effect and characteristic x-rays, demonstrate principles of quantum mechanics and the relation between photon energy, atomic numbers, and accelerating voltage.