Which process primarily determines the radiation emitted when electrons collide with target atoms in an X-ray tube?

The process that primarily determines the radiation emitted when electrons collide with target atoms in an X-ray tube is Bremsstrahlung. This German term means "braking radiation," which describes the phenomenon that occurs when high-energy electrons are decelerated or "braked" upon interacting with the electric fields of the nuclei in the target material, typically a metal such as tungsten.

As the incoming electrons are deflected by the positive charge of the atomic nuclei, they lose energy, and that energy is released in the form of X-ray photons. The intensity and spectrum of the emitted X-rays are largely dependent on the energy of the incoming electrons and the atomic number of the target material. Bremsstrahlung is responsible for the majority of the X-ray production in diagnostic X-ray machines.

In contrast, electron capture, Rayleigh scattering, and pair production involve different mechanisms that do not play a primary role in the production of X-rays in this context. Electron capture refers to a process where an inner shell electron is captured by the nucleus, and Rayleigh scattering involves the elastic scattering of X-rays without energy loss, leading to a change in direction but not in energy. Pair production occurs at very high energies (above 1.022 MeV) and involves