Bremsstrahlung and its contribution to the gamma ray scattering spectra of solids

The bremsstrahlung radiation (BR) spectra from decelerating electrons liberated in photoelectric or Compton scattering processes are studied in the bulk of the scatterer and their influence on inelastic photon scattering experiments is considered. Using two spectrometers designed for Compton scattering studies the spectra resulting from 59.5 keV gamma rays striking W and Ti samples has been measured in the energy range between 5 and 60 keV. The spectra between 18 and 40 keV are dominated by the BR and are in good agreement with Kramers' bremsstrahlung theory: BR contributes significantly at low energies to Compton spectra and its removal is crucial to the study of the infrared divergence in photon scattering experiments. (orig.)