Which electron interaction with the anode causes the x-ray beam to be polygenergetic?

The process responsible for creating a polychromatic (or polygenergetic) x-ray beam at the anode is Bremsstrahlung radiation. During this interaction, high-speed electrons emitted from the cathode are decelerated as they pass close to the atomic nuclei of the anode material. As these electrons lose energy due to this interaction, they release that energy in the form of x-rays.

The term "polygenergetic" refers to the fact that the emitted x-rays have a range of energies rather than a single energy level. This happens because the amount of energy lost by the electrons varies depending on how close they come to the nucleus and the degree of deceleration they experience. Therefore, the resulting x-ray beam is made up of photons with a spectrum of energies, contributing to its polychromatic nature.

In contrast, characteristic radiation occurs when an electron from an inner shell of an atom is ejected, and another electron from a higher energy level transitions down to fill the vacancy, releasing a photon of a specific energy that corresponds to the difference in energy levels within that specific atom. This results in a more monochromatic beam, as the energies of these emitted photons are characteristic of the anode material.

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