Experts in their fields provide up-to-date, comprehensive information on the physics underlying modern nuclear medicine and imaging using radioactively labeled tracers. They examine every aspect of the field--from basic atomic physics through radioactivity, isotope production, interaction of radiation with matter, radiation detection, and imaging systems. Examples are presented with solutions worked out in step-by-step detail, illustrating important concepts and calculations.Features a brand-new author, Dr. Simon Cherry, who contributes his cutting-edge knowledge in nuclear medicine instrumentation. Presents a new introductory chapter, "What is Nuclear Medicine." Revises and updates all chapters and appendices. Discusses the hottest topics in the field, including isotope production and tracer synthesis · image quality in nuclear medicine · tomographic reconstruction in nuclear medicine · SPECT · PET · computers in nuclear medicine · and more. Explains the analytic equations that describe the physics involved and illustrates them with graphs to make the material accessible to the non-math expert. Provides more advanced mathematics and concepts in appendices. Includes many new illustrations and examples throughout. Reorganizes several chapters, providing a more logical flow of information.