Bremsstrahlung (, from "to brake" and "radiation", i.e. "braking radiation" or "deceleration radiation") is
electromagnetic radiation produced by the
deceleration of a charged particle when deflected by another charged particle, typically an
electron by an
atomic nucleus. The moving particle loses
kinetic energy, which is converted into a
photon, thus satisfying the
law of conservation of energy. The term is also used to refer to the process of producing the radiation. Bremsstrahlung has a
continuous spectrum, which becomes more intense and whose peak intensity shifts toward higher frequencies as the change of the energy of the accelerated particles increases.