Bremsstrahlung

A classical electrodynamic treatment predicts that accelerated charges emit bremsstrahlung. Bremsstrahlung is particularly important in the case of an electron scattered by the Coulomb field of a nucleus, leading the electron–nucleus bremsstrahlung. In a classical treatment, it shows that the radiation emitted during an electron–nucleus scattering event is dipolar in nature. Electron–electron bremsstrahlung, on the other hand, is quadrupole-like and the cross section is much smaller. This chapter presents a fully quantum mechanical treatment of bremsstrahlung in the Born limit, but still limited to nonrelativistic velocities. A discussion of the bremsstrahlung emitted during an electron–nucleus scattering event is followed by a description of electron–positron scattering. Finally, the chapter focuses on electron–electron bremsstrahlung, which builds on the electron–positron treatment but requires us to consider also electron exchange effects.