written by Michael R. Gallis

TheX-Ray Spectrum Model shows the effect of varying the high voltage (kVp), added filtration and ripple in the high voltage supply to the X-ray tube. The physical mechanisms by which X-rays are produced are Bremsstrahlung (in which collisions of the cathode electrons convert some of their energy into X-ray photons) and characteristic X-rays (in which the cathode electrons kick an inner shell electron out of an atom, and an X-ray photon is release when one of the atom's outer shell electron transitions to the inner shell). Changing the accelerating voltage of the cathode electrons (i.e. changing kVp) affects both mechanisms of X-ray production. Adding filtration to the X-ray beam reduces its intensity, but does not reduce all energy X-rays equally.

The X-Ray Spectrum Model was created by Michael Gallis using the Easy Java Simulations (EJS) modeling tool. It is distributed as a ready-to-run (compiled) Java archive. You can examine and modify this compiled EJS model if you run the model (double click on the model's jar file), right-click within a plot, and select "Open Ejs Model" from the pop-up menu. You must, of course, have EJS installed on your computer. 

• Download ejs_gallis_XRaySpectrum.jar - 1126kb Java Archive File

Last Modified June 13, 2014

This file has previous versions.

The source code zip archive contains an XML representation of the X-Ray Spectrum Model.  Unzip this archive in your EjsS 5 workspace to compile and run this model using EjsS 5 or above.

• Download ejs_src_gallis_XRaySpectrum.zip - 7kb Compressed File

Last Modified June 13, 2014

This file has previous versions.