ASNT Industrial Radiography Radiation Safety Practice Test

What is NOT a result when high-speed electrons strike a hard surface?

1. X-rays

2. Heat

3. Neutron beams

4. Bremsstrahlung

The correct answer is: Neutron beams

When high-speed electrons strike a hard surface, one of the primary outcomes is the production of X-rays due to interactions between the electrons and the atomic structures of the target material. This phenomenon is called Bremsstrahlung, which specifically refers to the X-rays emitted when electrons are decelerated or deflected by the positive charge of atomic nuclei in the target material. Additionally, the kinetic energy of the electrons is partly converted into heat during this interaction, raising the temperature of the target. As the energy of the electrons is transformed into different forms, both X-rays and heat are common results. Neutron beams, on the other hand, are not generated from the impact of high-speed electrons on a hard surface. Neutrons are subatomic particles that typically arise from nuclear reactions or certain types of radioactive decay. In the context of interactions involving high-speed electrons and hard surfaces, the generation of neutron beams would not occur as those conditions do not provide the necessary environment or mechanisms for neutron production. Thus, neutron beams are not a result of high-speed electron interactions, making this the correct answer.