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X-rays are part of the electromagnetic spectrum. They are high-energy electromagnetic waves with a short wavelength and a high frequency.
X-rays are developed from the electrons that originate from the outer cloud of an atom. This electron is then converted into highly energised photons when they are energised from a higher energy level to a lower level, releasing excess energy. This occurs because fast electrons decelerate suddenly, and their large amount of kinetic energy is transferred into photons of electromagnetic radiation. This process occurs in an X-ray tube that accelerates the electrons via the potential difference between the electrodes. These are then directed to the material they impact.
The electromagnetic spectrum is the entire range of electromagnetic waves. It is composed of different types of waves with different wavelengths and energy.
The electromagnetic spectrum shows how X-rays are a form of ionising radiation, Wikimedia CommonsX-rays can be categorised into two types: low-energy X-rays and high-energy X-rays.
We've got plenty more info on X-rays! Check out our explanations: Absorption of X-Rays and X-Ray Image Processing.
High-energy X-rays, also known as HEX-rays, are a type of X-ray that has an energy about one order of magnitude greater than standard X-rays or gamma rays.
High-energy X-rays have a great energy spectrum and are emitted when accelerated electrons pass near their atomic nuclei and are deflected by the electric field.
Atomic nuclei are comprised of positively charged protons and neutrons with a neutral charge. They are held together by a fundamental force known as a strong force. The electrons are located outside of the nuclei in a cloud orbiting the nuclei, and they are held together by an electrostatic force. The positive charge in the nucleus and the negative charge of the orbiting cloud of electrons creates an electric dipole, and an electric field is created as a result.
High-energy X-rays are formed by modern machines that produce synchrotron radiation. Synchrotron radiation is electromagnetic radiation emitted when charged particles are accelerated, and the vector of their acceleration is perpendicular to the vector of their velocity. These particles are accelerated using particle accelerators or subjecting electrons to large magnetic fields.
Synchroton radiation (or magnetobremsstrahlung radiation) is the radiation emitted by a charged particle when it travels in a curved trajectory due to strong magnetic fields present in particle accelerators.
Particle accelerators are machines that accelerate charged particles to very high speeds in different directions using powerful electromagnetic fields created by superconducting magnets. This acceleration is confined in circular beams so that the charged particles collide. These collisions of particles produce large amounts of energy. Particle accelerators are used for research in particle physics or to generate high-energy X-rays and gamma rays.
The largest particle accelerator in the world is located at the CERN laboratory (European Organization for Nuclear Research) and is known as the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). It consists of superconducting magnets that accelerate particles to speeds nearly equal to the speed of light. It is the most powerful and largest accelerator with a 27-kilometre circumference!
Machines that generate synchrotron radiation are found in various laboratories, such as at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (the ESRF). High-energy X-rays can penetrate deep into matter, which is useful for research in physics, material science, and cancer treatment.
High-energy X-rays formed by synchrotron radiation have a continuous spectrum of photon energies with an energy range between 80keV and 1000keV (kiloelectronvolts). These X-rays have properties that are different to conventional X-rays. Here are some of these characteristics:
Due to their ability to penetrate deep matter, high-energy X-rays are used for
When high-energy X-rays (which have energies much larger than 30keV) are incident on a material, the penetration ability of the material decreases due to a reduced mass attenuation coefficient in the materials. The mass attenuation coefficient expresses the ability of a material to be penetrated by energy, and it decreases at higher energies. Therefore, the higher the mass attenuation coefficient of the detector’s material, the higher its penetration ability.
For the detection of high-energy X-rays, the detectors used are made of high-density materials with a higher mass attenuation coefficient. Here are some X-ray detection techniques:
Scintillators are materials that are illuminated when they are exposed to ionising radiation as they absorb the energy of the radiation.
High-energy X-rays usually have energies between 80 and 1000 kiloelectronvolts (keV).
High-energy X-rays are used for various applications, including structural and security inspection, material science research, medical treatment, and industry sterilisation.
High-energy X-rays treat cancer by shrinking or killing cancerous cells due to their high energy.
High-energy X-rays are used in radiotherapy because they can damage living cells due to their ability to penetrate matter. Because of their high energy, high-energy X-rays can shrink or kill cancerous cells.
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