Final answer:
The device required to produce the necessary high voltage for x-ray production in an x-ray tube is known as a transformer.
Step-by-step explanation:
The device used to produce the high voltage needed for x-ray production is the transformer. In an x-ray tube, electrons are ejected by thermal agitation from a hot filament. These electrons are then accelerated toward the anode through a high voltage provided by the transformer. When they strike the anode, the interaction between the electrons and the anode material produces x-ray photons. This process involves the conversion of kinetic energy to x-rays, primarily through bremsstrahlung radiation and characteristic x-rays that are specific to the anode material's atomic structure.