From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Characteristic x-ray
Characteristic x-ray
A high energy electron interacts with a bound electron in This is used in various techniques, including X-ray flu-
an atom and ejects it. The incident electron is scattered orescence spectroscopy, Energy dispersive X-ray spec-
and the target electron gets displaced from its shell. The troscopy and Wavelength dispersive X-ray spectroscopy.
incident electron energy must exceed the binding energy These are used in mineral analysis and elsewhere.
of the electron to eject it. After the electron has been The characteristic-x-ray can be immediately reab-
ejected the atom is left with a vacant energy level. sorbed by an electron in the same atom and instead the
This vacant energy level if it occurs in the inner elec- energy of the characteristic x-ray is given entirely to this
tron levels is called a core hole. This vacancy is subse- electron which is called an Auger electron. This is like an
quently filled by an electron from a higher energy level internal photo-electric effect that occurs after the initial
with the emission of a characteristic x-ray photon. The photo-electric effect.
characteristic x-ray photon has an energy that corre-
sponds exactly to the difference in energy between the
energy level that is vacant and the energy level from
References
which an electron falls. • Khan F The physics of radiation therapy
The x-ray energy is characteristic of the atom that
had the core hole and can be used to identify the atom.
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Categories:
• X-rays
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