What are inner shell transitions of X-rays, and how are characteristic and continuous X-rays produced?

### Inner Shell Transitions of X-rays When high-energy electrons strike a target, they can eject an inner shell electron (e.g., K or L shell), creating a vacancy. An electron from a higher energy outer shell then transitions to fill this vacancy. The energy difference between these shells is emitted as an X-ray photon. ### Characteristic X-rays 1. **Production Mechanism**: An incident electron ejects an inner shell electron. An outer shell electron drops to fill the vacancy. 2. **Energy Emission**: This transition emits an X-ray photon with a specific energy, unique to the energy levels of the target atom. 3. **Discrete Spectrum**: Due to discrete atomic energy levels, these X-rays form a line spectrum, characteristic of the target material. ### Continuous X-rays (Bremsstrahlung) 1. **Production Mechanism**: High-speed electrons decelerate as they pass near the positively charged nuclei of target atoms. 2. **Deceleration and Energy Loss**: Electrostatic attraction causes electrons to lose kinetic energy. 3. **X-ray Emission**: This lost kinetic energy is converted into X-ray photons. 4. **Continuous Spectrum**: Since electrons lose varying amounts of energy, a continuous spectrum of X-ray energies and wavelengths is produced, with a sharp minimum wavelength.