Investigation of Coulombic bremsstrahlung spectra of metallic targets for the photon energy region of 1–100 keV.

In the present paper, the formation of bremsstrahlung spectra by ordinary bremsstrahlung (OB) and polarization bremsstrahlung (PB) in metallic targets by 35 S beta particles has been investigated in the photon energy region of 1–100 keV. From the experimental measurements and the theoretical results obtained from Elwert corrected (non-relativistic) Bethe Heitler (EBH) theory, modified Elwert factor (relativistic) (F mod BH) theories for OB and Avdonina and Pratt (F mod BH+PB) theory for total bremsstrahlung (BS) having the contribution of PB into OB, it has been found that the contribution of PB into BS in a target is limited to a low energy region only and also varies with the atomic number of target material. The F mod BH+PB theory is in agreement with the experimental results in low energy regions of the target, whereas at high energy region F mod BH is found to give better agreement. Further, the present experimental results indicate that the screening effects in the Coulombic bremsstrahlung process cannot be neglected in the high energy region, and the multiple scattering and secondary electron emissions effects in thick target are required to be taken into account in describing the bremsstrahlung process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]