RELATIVISTIC INDEPENDENT-PARTICLE APPROXIMATION STUDY OF TRIPLY DIFFERENTIAL CROSS-SECTIONS FOR ELECTRON-ATOM BREMSSTRAHLUNG

Triply differential cross sections for electron-atom bremsstrahlung ha ve been calculated in the relativistic independent particle approximat ion. We confirm the substantial discrepancies between the results of t his theory and experimental data in the hard photon regime which have been reported recently. First results for intermediate energy photon e mission show, however, good agreement with the experimental data avail able. The importance of the projectile-target electron exchange intera ction and of detailed structure effects due to the description of the target atom are studied.