Which is also exactly what the CRT itself is – not all of the electrons pass through the mask. The difference is, that the actual CRT part has a longer field to accelerate the electrons, meaning the hit the mask or cathode with a higher energy leading to higher power x-ray photons. Modern tubes just had shielding so it wasn’t a concern, the older ones didn’t.
Technically x-rays are always generated when a particle accelerates. That’s why you can get them even from a high power cyclotron where the particle has a constant force applied on it. The actual CRT creates higher energy electrons and thus will generate more x-rays than the rectifier, it’s calculated simply from the voltage and the overall distance of acceleration. But if the TV had a tube rectifier it’s true that that would generate low power x-rays as well.
how exactly does a rectifier produce x-rays?
By being a vacuum tube with a metal target, much like an X-ray tube.
Which is also exactly what the CRT itself is – not all of the electrons pass through the mask. The difference is, that the actual CRT part has a longer field to accelerate the electrons, meaning the hit the mask or cathode with a higher energy leading to higher power x-ray photons. Modern tubes just had shielding so it wasn’t a concern, the older ones didn’t.
Technically x-rays are always generated when a particle accelerates. That’s why you can get them even from a high power cyclotron where the particle has a constant force applied on it. The actual CRT creates higher energy electrons and thus will generate more x-rays than the rectifier, it’s calculated simply from the voltage and the overall distance of acceleration. But if the TV had a tube rectifier it’s true that that would generate low power x-rays as well.
Technically, every forward-biased rectifier emits EM of wavelength and intensity depending on materials.
1N4007 silicon rectifier emits a few THz photons when forward biased.
Use different materials and you have a LED, an inefficient rectifier but great light source.
Tube rectifier with high enough voltage
https://tubedata.jp/sheets/135/1/1DG3A.pdf