Plz briefly explain me about charachterstic x-ray spectrum?

Dear Chiranjeevi,

Characteristic x-rays are emitted from heavy elements when their electrons make transitions between the lower atomic energy levels. The characteristic x-rays emission which shown as two sharp peaks in the illustration at left occur when vacancies are produced in the n=1 or K-shell of the atom and electrons drop down from above to fill the gap. The x-rays produced by transitions from the n=2 to n=1 levels are called K-alpha x-rays, and those for the n=3->1 transiton are called K-beta x-rays.

Transitions to the n=2 or L-shell are designated as L x-rays (n=3->2 is L-alpha, n=4->2 is L-beta, etc. ). The continuous distribution of x-rays which forms the base for the two sharp peaks at left is called "bremsstrahlung" radiation.

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