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sphere3
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This is probably a naive question, but I've been trying for awhile to figure it out myself and just don't have the background to do so. I know that beta particles can generate x-rays through bremsstrahlung processes, and that some materials excited by alpha particles can generate light through subsequent electron relaxation, such as Zinc Sulfide. I also know that alpha particles can eject neutrons from lightweight materials, like beryllium. However, I was curious about whether alpha particles of ordinary velocity (e.g. 5.5MeV) can induce high energy emanations (such as x-rays or gamma rays) through some process I'm not aware of from different types of materials (e.g. ordinary air vs. aluminum vs. steel vs. silicon) that they bombard. I'm not very familiar with the energy that is emitted when ions recombine or when electrons jump between shells (except for visible light), but I'm guessing those processes would be the sources of most "secondary radiation" from alpha particles. The thing that got me thinking about these possibilities was pondering the construction of smoke detectors that have alpha particles hitting air and whatever metal they use for shielding, and even silicon computer processors that experience periodic alpha particle bombardment from their packaging. I know all that energy from the alpha particles has to go somewhere, and wonder if any of it ends up as high-energy rays. Thanks!