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How does bremsstrahlung produce X-rays?
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X-ray
The relationship of X-rays to other electromagnetic radiation within the electromagnetic spectrum.
Bremsstrahlung, which is German for "braking radiation," produces X-rays through the sudden deceleration or deflection of charged particles, typically electrons, as they pass through matter near the strong electric fields of atomic nuclei.12
In a standard X-ray tube, a beam of high-energy electrons is directed at a metal target. As these electrons interact with the target's atoms, they experience two primary types of deceleration:13
- Head-on collisions: An electron may collide directly with a nucleus, causing it to come to a complete stop. In this process, all of its kinetic energy is converted into a single photon of maximum energy.1
- Deflections: Electrons may pass near multiple nuclei, causing them to be repeatedly deflected and slowed down. Each deflection results in the emission of a pulse of electromagnetic energy in the form of a photon with less than the maximum energy.13
This process creates a continuous spectrum of electromagnetic radiation that peaks in the X-ray region. Most of the energy radiated by an X-ray tube is generated through this bremsstrahlung mechanism.13