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Cool X-ray Generation Fact: X-rays From Free Electrons

X-ray Generation from Free Electrons

If an X-ray is generated by thermal emission, the material must be at a temperature in the millions of degrees. Most astronomers thought that the Universe would hold very few such objects when the first non-solar X-ray measurements were made in the early 1960s. Now we know that the Universe is filled with many powerful sources of X-ray emission.




 

A service of the High Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center (HEASARC), Dr. Andy Ptak (Director), within the Astrophysics Science Division (ASD) at NASA/GSFC

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