Does an electron beam bending lose energy by photon emission

In summary, an electron beam traveling through a vacuum with a velocity v enters a region of space with an electric field E, causing the electrons to circle with a radius r and accelerate at a constant tangential speed. This results in radiation of photons with a frequency f, but the beam is stable and does not lose energy. In a lab setup with a Helmholtz coil, the energy is not removed from the magnetic field and the beam remains stable. Manufacturers such as Teltron and Pasco Scientific sell devices that demonstrate this phenomenon, such as the e/m experiment. However, at higher energies, synchrotron radiation can cause energy loss in the beam. Bremsstrahlung radiation, which is responsible for X-rays, is
  • #1
houlahound
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A beam of electron in vacuum with velocity v enter a region of spa e with a electric field E. The field is such the electrons circle with radius r. The electrons are now accelerating at constant tangential speed.

Because this is not an atomic orbital then by classical physics the electrons radiate photons of frequency f.

Does this radiation make the electrons lose energy and spiral inward.

The answer is no because such circular beams can be created and are stable, so what compensates for the radiated energy loss?
 
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  • #2
The 2.45 Ghz frequency generated by the electron beam circling(bending) in the Magnetron in a microwave oven produces no light and therefore no photons.
Visable light is associated with photons is within the frequency range of ~405 - 790 THz. It is not usually associated with electron beams.
 
  • #3
Jon B said:
The 2.45 Ghz frequency generated by the electron beam circling(bending) in the Magnetron in a microwave oven produces no light and therefore no photons.
Visable light is associated with photons is within the frequency range of ~405 - 790 THz. It is not usually associated with electron beams.

That is incorrect. ALL electromagnetic radiation is composed of photons, not just visible light.

houlahound said:
The answer is no because such circular beams can be created and are stable, so what compensates for the radiated energy loss?

The radiation would indeed lead to an in-spiraling of the electron beam. Stable electron beams, such as in circular particle accelerators, have to keep supplying energy to keep them in a steady path.
 
  • #4
I never implied visible photons.

So in a lab bench set up where the beam of electrons is bent by the field from Helmholtz coils which I assume anyone reading are familiar with in most undergrad labs, is the energy removed from the magnetic field measurable. Shouldn't we see a fluctuations in the coil current?? Or should the coils draw more power when the beam is present?
 
  • #5
houlahound said:
So in a lab bench set up where the beam of electrons is bent by the field from Helmholtz coils which I assume anyone reading are familiar with in most undergrad labs, is the energy removed from the magnetic field measurable. Shouldn't we see a fluctuations in the coil current?? Or should the coils draw more power when the beam is present?

I don't think energy is removed from the magnetic field. Those beams are probably not stable. The in-spiraling of the electron beam just probably isn't noticeable since the beam isn't moving relativistically or being curved hard enough.
 
  • #6
Not wanting to mention manufacturers names but these beams are clearly stable in bench top devices. You can visually measure the radius. The coil currents are only a few amps.
 
  • #7
houlahound said:
Not wanting to mention manufacturers names but these beams are clearly stable in bench top devices. You can visually measure the radius. The coil currents are only a few amps.

I'd need a link to such a device to see it and help answer your question.
 
  • #8
Both Teltron and Pasco Scientific sell such devices. I used a Pasco its called e/m experiment.

Will link if that's not spamming.
 
  • #9
Lol, no. It's not spamming. :biggrin:
 
  • #11
Okay, we just had one of those in my E&M class the other week. I can't guarantee anything, but I was under the impression that the electrons are emitted at a low velocity, in a low-strength magnetic field, and the reaction force from the radiation they release isn't measurable at this scale.
 
  • #13
Look up "synchrotron radiation" and try calculating the rate of energy loss for electrons in that apparatus. The accelerating voltage is typically a few 1000 V (in our setup it was about 1500 to 5000 V), so the initial kinetic energy is a few keV. The radius of curvature is maybe 5 cm.
 
  • #14
I think it is a (non relativistic) cyclotron not a synchrotron, unless a sync and cyc are the same.

Formula is here;

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclotronand

0e3315fcbd7a6dea6f4bace9051212f2.png


If this equals hf then

f= (q^2 B^2 R^2)/(h 2m)

I'm not sure it is valid to assume the kinetic energy of the electrons all turns into photons and can be equated to hf though??
 
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  • #15
1. There IS energy loss when an electron beam moves in a circular path.

2. For a tabletop experiment shown in a typical e/m experiment, the loss is VERY SMALL, because the charge on each electron is very small, and the speed of these electrons is "small".

3. Evidence for such energy loss can seen in when the electron beam are in MeV and GeV energy range. Synchrotron radiation is a clear example of this. It is also why the LHC is so large in diameter, so as to minimize the bending radius.

Zz.
 
  • #16
Yes, it is called Bremsstrahlung radiation. It is how X-Rays are generated in your doctor's X-ray machine.
 
  • #17
Ifaik, Bremsstrahlung radiation happens due to close interaction of high speed electrons with atoms in a target. X rays are very high energy but the photons produced by larger structures are surely a lot lower energy because the acceleration of the charges is lower. Would they be classed as Bremsstrahlung radiation?
 
  • #18
Quite not, doctors xray is by high energy collision knocking k-shell electrons out of atoms in a solid target. Not even close to this phenomena.
 
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  • #19
I stand corrected. I was told by the X-ray tech the X-rays were from Bremsstrahlung. I guess I was misinformed. Thanks Houlahound.
 
  • #20
It could be called bremss. in Xrays. I don't know the names I just happen to know the process of medical xray production in dentist and doctor surgeries.
 
  • #21
In the original question there is no reference to an electromagnetic frequency being generated. An electron beam is a current traveling without a conductor. The stream of electrons can be influenced by electrostatic charges and magnetic forces to focus and maintain a minimum of loss to the body of the containing device. The beam can be velocity modulated to provide radio waves.
 
  • #22
The electron beam is going in a circle = acceleration = EM radiation.

There is no way it can't happen in my view.
 
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  • #23
Kevin McHugh said:
I stand corrected. I was told by the X-ray tech the X-rays were from Bremsstrahlung. I guess I was misinformed. Thanks Houlahound.

Actually, you are correct.

Medical x-rays are created via both processes. However, the Bremsstrahlung x-ray usually dominates over the characteristics x-ray. See, for example, Pg. 4 of this presentation:

http://www.desy.de/~garutti/LECTURES/BioMedical/Lecture3_FG.pdf

I also believe that Bremsstrahlung x-rays are more directional than the characteristic x-ray which makes them more useful for medical imaging.

Zz.
 
  • #24
Jon B said:
In the original question there is no reference to an electromagnetic frequency being generated. An electron beam is a current traveling without a conductor. The stream of electrons can be influenced by electrostatic charges and magnetic forces to focus and maintain a minimum of loss to the body of the containing device. The beam can be velocity modulated to provide radio waves.

But this is a completely different scenario!

If you put electrons in a circular path and let them stay in that circular path without any additional "booster", they will "decay" their "orbit" since they will lose its energy. This is not an unknown, mysterious, or puzzling phenomenon.

Zz.
 
  • #25
houlahound said:
The electron beam is going in a circle = acceleration = EM radiation.

There is no way it can't happen in my view.
It is the same as if the DC current was in a conductor. A magnetic field would be established.
 
  • #26
ZapperZ said:
But this is a completely different scenario!

If you put electrons in a circular path and let them stay in that circular path without any additional "booster", they will "decay" their "orbit" since they will lose its energy. This is not an unknown, mysterious, or puzzling phenomenon.

Zz.
I was thinking the power supply would remain on and the flow of electrons would continue.
 
  • #27
Jon B said:
I was thinking the power supply would remain on and the flow of electrons would continue.

What "power supply"?

Look at a cyclotron. You have a magnetic field perpendicular to the plane of motion. Without any other external forces, the circular path will eventually decay.

If you add other sources (what I called "booster"), then the OP's question will not matter, will it? That is what we do in many circular accelerators around the world to keep up the energy of the electron beams!

Zz.
 
  • #28
ZapperZ said:
What "power supply"?

Look at a cyclotron. You have a magnetic field perpendicular to the plane of motion. Without any other external forces, the circular path will eventually decay.

If you add other sources (what I called "booster"), then the OP's question will not matter, will it? That is what we do in many circular accelerators around the world to keep up the energy of the electron beams!

Zz.
A typical electron beam has a high voltage supply to sustain it. I guess this is an electron torpedo then.
 
  • #29
Jon B said:
A typical electron beam has a high voltage supply to sustain it. I guess this is an electron torpedo then.

Just in case you are not aware of it, I'm an accelerator physicist.

This question isn't about particle accelerator, but the concept of charged particle in a circular path.

Zz.
 
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  • #30
A non varying DC current in a wire would not emit EM but if the level changed then I expect it would.

A constant level DC current in a loop would not I expect emit EM but then I get tripped up because a circle motion implies acceleration and accelerating electrons radiate??

The device mentioned supplies a power to both the B field and the electrons, this power must compensate for radiative losses or the electrons would spiral out of a fixed radius...I'm so confused.
 
  • #31
houlahound said:
A non varying DC current in a wire would not emit EM but if the level changed then I expect it would.

A constant level DC current in a loop would not I expect emit EM but then I get tripped up because a circle motion implies acceleration and accelerating electrons radiate??

The device mentioned supplies a power to both the B field and the electrons, this power must compensate for radiative losses or the electrons would spiral out of a fixed radius...I'm so confused.

Did you read all the responses you were given? I could have sworn someone asked you to look up "synchrotron radiation". If you haven't, read this:

http://www.eecs.berkeley.edu/~attwood/srms/2007/Lec08.pdf

Pay attention to page 3, and see what happen for v<<c, and compare that to v~c.

Zz.
 
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  • #32
houlahound said:
A non varying DC current in a wire would not emit EM but if the level changed then I expect it would.

A constant level DC current in a loop would not I expect emit EM but then I get tripped up because a circle motion implies acceleration and accelerating electrons radiate??

The device mentioned supplies a power to both the B field and the electrons, this power must compensate for radiative losses or the electrons would spiral out of a fixed radius...I'm so confused.
I have the idea that a charged particle can be manipulated by electrostatic focusing and electromagnet lenses.
 
  • #33
I looked up synch, it seemed less relavent so I read up on cyclotron instead which seems totally relevant.

Will follow your link tho.
 
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  • #34
ZapperZ said:
Did you read all the responses you were given? I could have sworn someone asked you to look up "synchrotron radiation". If you haven't, read this:

http://www.eecs.berkeley.edu/~attwood/srms/2007/Lec08.pdf

Pay attention to page 3, and see what happen for v<<c, and compare that to v~c.

Zz.
I like the straight sections containing periodic magnetic structures to produce different effects.
 
  • #35
All I get from the link is "about blank"What I understand of synch is linear acceleration with undulations nothing close to circular motion at constant tangential velocity that I can figure.
 

Related to Does an electron beam bending lose energy by photon emission

1. What is an electron beam and how does it work?

An electron beam is a stream of electrons that are accelerated and focused onto a target. This is typically done using an electron gun, which uses electric fields to accelerate the electrons and magnetic fields to focus them into a narrow beam.

2. How does an electron beam lose energy by photon emission?

When an electron is accelerated, it gains energy. This energy can then be released in the form of photons, which are packets of electromagnetic radiation. This process is known as Bremsstrahlung, or braking radiation, and results in the electron losing energy as it emits photons.

3. What factors affect the amount of energy lost by an electron beam through photon emission?

The amount of energy lost by an electron beam through photon emission depends on the energy of the electrons, the strength of the electric and magnetic fields, and the density of the material the beam is passing through. Higher energy electrons and stronger fields will result in more energy being lost through photon emission.

4. Is the loss of energy through photon emission significant in electron beam technology?

The loss of energy through photon emission is a well-known phenomenon in electron beam technology and is taken into consideration in the design and operation of electron beam devices. However, the amount of energy lost through photon emission is typically small compared to the overall energy of the electron beam and can be minimized through careful design and optimization.

5. How is the loss of energy through photon emission beneficial in some applications?

In some applications, such as X-ray generation, the loss of energy through photon emission is actually beneficial. By controlling the amount of energy lost through photon emission, scientists and engineers can manipulate the properties of the emitted photons, such as their energy and wavelength, making them useful for various applications in fields such as medicine and materials science.

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