[Physics] What produce X rays

quantum mechanicsx-rays

OK , I already know:
Fast electrons collide with metal atoms ,creates x-rays .
But the questions is how those collisions create X rays. What I think (don't know if it right ! So I need help ) :
Electrons carry high energy ( due to high speed ) after collisions :Those energy transform into 2 part
– first main part is heat : most of energy from electron transports to metal atoms make those atoms move faster and produce heat.
Second part is photon ( x-rays ) : there some electron collide with metal atoms but some don't collide at all . It loses its speed due to electrostatic attraction between atoms and electron , and since they haven't collide those energy cant transports to metal atoms => According to conserve law those speed or energy lost in elec have to go somewhere and that is photon right ?

If what I think is correct then :
what if A ship (space ship ) in space with high speed , get pulled by gravity of a planet . It's does not collide , just lose of some it's speed then those energy lost will turn into to photons ray?

Best Answer

The highly energetic incident electrons can lose energy and produce x-rays in following two processes:

  1. Atomic Processes: The incident electrons cause excitation of inner shell electrons, leaving behind a vacancy. When this vacancy is filled by an electron of the atom from higher energy level, you get characteristic x-rays.
  2. Deceleration of electrons or bremsstrahlung: This is central to your problem I guess. In this process, the highly energetic electrons are decelerated by target nuclei. Not every decelerating/accelerating particles/bodies emit electromagnetic (EM) radiations, only charged particles do. Some details can be found here. This phenomenon gives the continuous spectra of x-rays produced by this method. The space ship will not be emitting the x-rays because it is overall neutral (almost all macroscopic bodies are by default neutral, equal amount of positive and negative charges).
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