Emission spectra of electron irradiated metal foils
- Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States)
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Thesis submitted to Univ. of Tennessee by L. C. Emerson. An experimental investigation of the visible and ultraviolet light emitted when a charged particle moves across a boundary between two media with different dielectric properties was carried out. The spectral distributions of the light from evaporated foils of copper, germanium, silver, tin, and antimony bombarded by a 1.5-microamp beam of electrons were measured as a function of electron energy between 25 and 100 kev. The analysis was carried out with a Seya-Namioka vacuum ultraviolet spectrometer, Glan-Foucault prism polarizer, and a quartz- window photomultiplier. Calibration of the optical system with a NBS tungsten filament lamp enabled the intensity measurements to be carried out on an absolute basis. The experimental results for light polarized parallel to the plane containing the photon and the electron were compared with the calculated intensity of transftion radiation, and in general the agreement was found to be excellent. The component of the photon intensity polarized perpendicular to this plane was compared with the calculated intensity of the optical portion of the bremsstrahlung spectrum. The predicted dependence on electron energy, photon wavelength, and foil thickness was observed although the measured yield was higher than that predicted by theory. The possibility of contributions from Cherenkov radiation and plasma radiation is also considered, but it is shown that it would be unlikely for these radiations to be observed under the experimental conditions of this study.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- US Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-26
- NSA Number:
- NSA-17-032669
- OSTI ID:
- 4660115
- Report Number(s):
- ORNL-3450
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Thesis submitted to Univ. of Tennessee by L.C. Emerson. Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-63
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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