Question

how does x-rays interact with atom in a crystal?

Answer 1

It is a technique which relies on the dual nature (wave/particle) of X-rays to discover information about structure of crystalline materials. In this technique, the pattern produced by the diffraction of the X-rays through the closely spaced lattice of atoms in acrystal is recorded and then analyzed to reveal the nature of that lattice. This technique entails bombarding a sample of protein in crystalline form with a beam of X-rays. Most of these X-rays pass straight through the crystal but someare diffracted by it, resulting in a diffraction pattern recorded on a detector. This diffraction pattern is a reflection of three-dimensional structure of protein molecule present in the crystal. X-ray crystallography can provide very detailed atomic information,showing every atom in a protein or nucleic acid along with atomic details of ligands,inhibitors, ions, and other molecules that are incorporated into the crystal.