Diagnostic radiation produced at the target of the anode in an x-ray tube. An electron is accelerated at high speed from the x-ray tube cathode filament. It interacts with the nuclear field of a target atom, changing direction and losing energy that is emitted in the form of an ionizing radiation photon. The result is a heterogeneous beam.
The emission of radiation occurs when high-speed negatively charged electrons collide with a positively charged anode within an X-ray tube. This particular type of radiation is often referred to as bremsstrahlung or braking radiation.