Bremsestråling

Bremsstrahlung is a type of electromagnetic radiation produced by the deceleration of a charged particle when it is deflected by another charged particle. The term "bremsstrahlung" is German and means "braking radiation." This phenomenon is particularly significant when a fast-moving electron is rapidly slowed down, for example, when it strikes the anode target in an X-ray tube. The energy lost by the electron during this deceleration is emitted as photons, which constitute the bremsstrahlung.

The energy of the emitted photons can range from very low to a maximum value equal to the kinetic energy of the incident charged particle. The spectrum of bremsstrahlung is continuous, meaning it includes all energies up to this maximum. The intensity of the radiation is proportional to the square of the atomic number of the target material and the current of the incident charged particles. This property is fundamental to the generation of X-rays for medical imaging and industrial applications. Bremsstrahlung also occurs in other contexts, such as in astrophysical plasmas and particle accelerators, where charged particles interact and lose energy through this process. The intensity and spectral distribution of bremsstrahlung are influenced by the energy of the incident particles and the properties of the medium they interact with.