Continuous (Bremsstrahlung) Radiation
Definition
Smooth background X-ray spectrum produced when high-energy electrons decelerate in the anode. Element-independent. The 'hump' under the characteristic lines.
- Origin
- Electron deceleration at the X-ray tube anode
- Spectrum shape
- Smooth, broad continuum
- Element dependency
- Independent of anode or sample element
Common questions
How is bremsstrahlung radiation distinguished from characteristic X-rays in a spectrum?+
It appears as a smooth broad background hump rather than the sharp, element-specific peaks of characteristic radiation, and is subtracted out before quantifying the characteristic peak intensities.
Does tube voltage affect the bremsstrahlung continuum?+
Yes, increasing the accelerating voltage raises the maximum photon energy of the continuum and shifts more intensity to higher energies, though the underlying shape stays element-independent.
Related terms
- Anode Target
- The metal block (commonly Cu, Mo or Rh) that electrons strike inside an X-ray tube to produce the X-ray beam. Choice of...
- Bragg's Law
- nλ = 2d sin(θ). A monochromatic X-ray beam diffracted off the parallel lattice planes of a crystal produces constructive interference only at...
- Characteristic X-Rays
- Sharp emission lines produced when an inner-shell vacancy in an atom is filled by an outer electron. Their energies are element-specific (Moseley's...
- D-Spacing
- The perpendicular distance between adjacent parallel planes of atoms in a crystal lattice, measured in angstroms or nanometres. Each set of planes...
- EDXRF
- Energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence. A solid-state detector resolves the entire emission spectrum at once by photon energy. Cheap, portable, faster.
- K-Alpha Line
- The characteristic X-ray emitted when an electron drops from the L-shell to fill a K-shell vacancy. Brightest line for most elements; the...
- WDXRF
- Wavelength-dispersive X-ray fluorescence. An analyser crystal disperses fluorescence by wavelength (Bragg's law again). Slower, costlier, much higher resolution.