Mechanism
The heart of an X-ray generator is the X-ray tube. Like any vacuum tube, the X-ray tube contains a cathode, which directs a stream of electrons into a vacuum, and an anode, which collects the electrons. The anode in an X-ray tube is made of tungsten, molybdenum, or copper; when electrons collide with the anode, about 1% of the resulting energy is emitted as X-rays, with the remaining 99% released as heat.
A cooling system is necessary to cool the anode; many X-ray generators use water or oil recirculating systems.
Read more about this topic: X-ray Generator
Famous quotes containing the word mechanism:
“A mechanism of some kind stands between us and almost every act of our lives.”
—Sarah Patton Boyle, U.S. civil rights activist and author. The Desegregated Heart, part 3, ch. 2 (1962)
“I’ve never known a Philadelphian who wasn’t a downright “character;” possibly a defense mechanism resulting from the dullness of their native habitat.”
—Anita Loos (1888–1981)
“When one of us dies of cancer, loses her mind, or commits suicide, we must not blame her for her inability to survive an ongoing political mechanism bent on the destruction of that human being. Sanity remains defined simply by the ability to cope with insane conditions.”
—Ana Castillo (b. 1953)