Which interaction leads to the production of characteristic x-rays?

The production of characteristic x-rays occurs primarily through the photoelectric effect. When an incident photon interacts with an inner-shell electron of an atom, it can transfer enough energy to eject that electron from its orbit. This process creates a vacancy in the inner shell. To fill this vacancy, an electron from a higher energy level will transition down to the lower energy level, releasing energy in the form of an x-ray photon. The energy of this photon corresponds to the difference in energy between the two shells involved, which gives rise to the specific energy characteristic of the element.

This mechanism directly links the interaction of x-rays with matter to the emission of x-rays that have specific energies, thereby defining them as characteristic x-rays, which are unique to each element based on the arrangement of electrons in its atomic structure. Understanding this process is crucial for applications in radiography and imaging, as well as for interpreting results in various analytical techniques.

The other interactions listed do not produce characteristic x-rays in the same manner; for instance, Compton scattering involves the collision between an x-ray photon and a loosely bound or free outer shell electron, resulting in a scattered photon and electron but not the emission of characteristic x-rays. Bremsstrahlung radiation refers to x-ray production due