Bremsstrahlung spectra from thick-target electron beams with noncollisional energy losses

Journal Article · Wed May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1985 · Astrophys. J., Lett. Ed.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/184467· OSTI ID:5549624

Brown, J C; MacKinnon, A L

We consider what can be learned from the bremsstrahlung radiation of fast electrons in a thick target, generalized to include electron energy losses additional to collisions. We show that the observed photon spectrum can, in principle, be inverted to yield an integral functional of the electron spectrum and the effective energy loss rate. In the light of this result, there seems no reason to suppose, in the absence of a priori information to the contrary, that the photon spectrum is symptomatic more of the fast electron distribution than of the energy loss processes. In cases where the electron injection spectrum is known on independent observational or theoretical grounds, it is possible to infer an effective, ''phenomenological'' energy loss function. In the more general case, however, fullest possible modeling of the physical situation and comparison of the resulting spectrum with observations is all that can be attempted.

• Research Organization: Center for Astrophysics and Space Science, University of California at San Diego
• OSTI ID: 5549624
• Journal Information: Astrophys. J., Lett. Ed.; (United States), Vol. 292:1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
SOLAR ELECTRONS
BREMSSTRAHLUNG
SOLAR FLARES
ELECTRON BEAMS
ELECTRON COLLISIONS
ENERGY LOSSES
FUNCTIONALS
SOLAR RADIATION
TARGETS
BEAMS
COLLISIONS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FERMIONS
FUNCTIONS
LEPTON BEAMS
LEPTONS
LOSSES
PARTICLE BEAMS
RADIATIONS
SOLAR ACTIVITY
SOLAR PARTICLES
STELLAR RADIATION
640104* - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Solar Phenomena