Question

Bremsstrahlung is due to acceleration or deceleration of charged particles in a electric field of another charged particle? When heavy charged particles, like p, alpha produce Bremsstrahlung is due to the electrons electric field or nucleus electric field?

Answer 1

Bremsstrahlung is electromagnetic radiation produced by deceleration of a charged particle when deflected by another charged particle. Normally this another charged particle is the electron by an atomic nucleus.If any particle decelerate then its kinetic energy loses.And that losing energy is converted into photon. Sometimes bremsstrahlung is also known as braking radiation.

final KE of electron = initial KE of electron - energy of X-ray photon

Particles like electrons bombarding targets of high atomic number are more efficient producers of bremsstrahlung than heavier particles such as alpha particles or neutrons.

When traversing an amorphous target, the projectile ions interact with the target electrons and nuclei. This causes radiation emission and energy loss to the projectiles.When a target is bombarded by protons or heavier ions, electrons are ejected from the atomic shells of the target atoms.The inner bremsstrahlung also known as internal bremsstrahlung arises from the creation of the electron and its loss of energy due to the strong electric field in the region of the nucleus undergoing decay as it leaves the nucleus.

So for heavy particles Bremsstrahlung is due to the electric field in the region of nucleus.