Bremsstrahlung

Definition

Bremsstrahlung, or braking radiation, is the radiation emitted when a charged particle, such as an electron, is decelerated by another charged particle, typically an atomic nucleus. It produces a continuous spectrum of photon energies.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Bremsstrahlung is significant in X-ray production and high-energy astrophysical processes.
2. The intensity of bremsstrahlung radiation increases with the charge of the decelerating particle and its velocity.
3. Bremsstrahlung contributes to background radiation in X-ray tubes and particle accelerators.
4. It occurs due to the conservation of energy when a charged particle loses kinetic energy during deceleration.
5. Quantum mechanically, bremsstrahlung can be described by the interaction of an electron with the Coulomb field of a nucleus.

Review Questions

• What happens to an electron's kinetic energy during bremsstrahlung?
• How does the charge of a decelerating particle affect bremsstrahlung radiation?
• Why does bremsstrahlung produce a continuous spectrum rather than discrete lines?

Related terms

Photon: A quantum of electromagnetic radiation that carries energy proportional to its frequency.

X-ray Tube: A device used to generate X-rays by accelerating electrons and colliding them with a metal target.

Coulomb Field: The electric field generated by a charged particle according to Coulomb's law.