Re: Production of Synchrotron Radiation

[Sam Sampere <sampere@SUHEP.PHY.SYR.EDU>]

This is true, but the orbital transitions give rise to sudden spikes in the
intensity vs. lambda curve.  It's these characteristic lines that make you
choose your target material between say Cu or Mo.  Otherwise, you have a
smooth curve due to accelerated electrons.  This Bremsstrahlung radiation is
what the other guy was probably referring.

Sam


Jim Green wrote:

> At 12:57 AM 2/12/99 +0100, you wrote:
> |Another precursor of radiating electrons is an x-ray tube. Electrons
> |gain kinetic energy in the vacuum and loose it during the rapid
> |deceleration in the anode.
>
> Well, yes, but it isn't quite that simple:  The accelerated electron
> collides with  an atom of the target material and excites the orbital
> electrons -- which collapse back to their quiescent state and then emit
> photons ie x rays -- just like in any photo-emission process.  This is why
> the target material is selected for the x-ray wavelength/energy desired.
> (BTW "x rays" is not correctly hyphenated unless it is an adjective as in
> the  above quote.)
>
> Jim Green
> mailto:JMGreen@sisna.com
> http://users.sisna.com/jmgreen



--
Sam Sampere
Syracuse University
Department of Physics
Syracuse, NY 13244
315-443-5999