What is the primary process through which x-rays are produced?

X-rays are primarily produced through the process known as Bremsstrahlung radiation. This occurs when high-speed electrons are decelerated or deflected as they pass near the nucleus of an atom in a target material, typically tungsten in x-ray tubes. As these electrons lose energy due to their interaction with the nucleus, they emit x-rays. The resulting x-ray photons can have a broad spectrum of energies, which is a key feature of Bremsstrahlung.

While characteristic radiation is also a method of x-ray production, it only occurs when electrons from the cathode displace inner-shell electrons from the atoms in the target material, leading to the emission of x-rays with specific energies that correspond to the energy difference between electron shells. This represents a smaller contribution to the overall x-ray output compared to Bremsstrahlung.

The photoelectric effect and Compton effect refer to interactions of x-rays with matter rather than processes for producing x-rays. The photoelectric effect involves the absorption of x-ray photons by atoms, resulting in electron ejection, while the Compton effect describes the scattering of x-ray photons off electrons, which results in a change in the energy and direction of the scattered x-rays. These processes are relevant for understanding x-ray interactions with tissues