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They're not turning those electrons into photons; they're using the electrons to transfer energy from the accelerator into gamma photons. The electrons aren't
by samcheng 9y ago
They're not turning those electrons into photons; they're using the electrons to transfer energy from the accelerator into gamma photons. The electrons aren't annihilated in the process.
- splittingTimes 9y agoThinking about it, that would mean they emit some kind of Bremsstrahlung, or not? If that is the case, I am wondering about the angular distribution of the emitted gamma photons... I would consider it rather random. This would beg the question, how do you focus and direct the gamma beam into the gold can?
- samcheng 9y agoSLAC, at least, works by deflecting the electrons, rather than by slowing them down via Bremsstrahlung. https://lcls.slac.stanford.edu/overview https://lcls.slac.stanford.edu/overview The result is a nice, tight, collimated beam of hard X-rays. Pretty awesome! But I'm not sure that SLAC has the power for this experiment - they probably would have done it already if they did...