[rescue] I'm not an EE Q - clarification

[rescue at sunhelp.org]

~ > I have been told that shorting a car battery out this way will
~ > generate X-rays...?
~ > 
~ > Alex
~ 
~ I'm not sure where that comes from, X-rays are a high frequency
~ radiation, a car battery has a frequency of zero.  If you get 
~ an arcing
~ connection it actually is a high frequency make/break type thing and
~ will dump out a bunch of RF noise, as well as a decent amount of UV
~ light.  I don't know about X-rays. An actual solid short across a car

X-rays are fairly commonplace. High voltage corrona and hot/bright arcs are
easy sources of them. Also CRT's produce some.