Coherent scatter implementation for SimSET

At 140 keV, 3% of photon scatter interactions in human tissues are coherent scatter; at Tl-201 emission energies, this fraction increases to approximately 7%. However, since coherent scatter at these energies is sharply forward-peaked, it is often the dominant scatter interaction at small angles. SimSET (Simulation System for Emission Tomography), which previously modeled only photoelectric absorption and Compton scatter, has been extended to include coherent scatter. The current implementation uses form factor and anomalous scattering amplitude data from the Livermore Evaluated Photon Data Library. Interaction probability and angular distribution tables for several human tissues and common detector materials were calculated using the independent atoms approximation and human-tissue composition data from the ICRP Reference Man. These data were also used to generate new tables for photoelectric absorption and Compton scatter, significantly improving the accuracy of SimSET and extending its photon tracking capability to lower photon energy (from 50 keV to 1 keV). The form, content, and structure of the tables were carefully designed for efficient data storage, access, and use by the software. The derived data tables and implementation of coherent scatter were validated by comparing simulation results to published differential cross-section data.