The X-ray absorption coefficient is a measure of how easily a material absorbs X-rays, which is used to determine the composition and density of materials in X-ray imaging techniques. This coefficient is significant in geophysics, mineralogy, and materials science for understanding the properties of rocks, minerals, and other materials in non-destructive testing and imaging.
Reference: Jenkins, R. (1999). “X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry.” Wiley-Interscience.