soft X ray

Soft X-rays are a form of electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths ranging from approximately 1 to 10 nanometers. They are part of the broader electromagnetic spectrum, which includes radio waves, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, X-rays, and gamma rays.12

Soft X-rays are produced when high-energy electrons strike a metal surface in a vacuum tube. They are also generated by synchrotron radiation, which involves accelerating charged particles to near the speed of light.34

These X-rays have applications in microscopy, particularly for studying biological materials in aqueous environments due to water's transparency to soft X-rays. They are also used in various scientific and industrial analyses, offering higher resolution than optical microscopes.15