Compton scattering: Delta lambda = (h / m_e c)(1 - cos theta); 4-momentum conservation

Layer 1 — Physicsin the medical-physics subtree

Compton scattering framework (Compton 1923 Phys Rev 21, 483; Debye 1923 Z Phys 24, 161). Setup: photon of wavelength lambda scatters elastically off a free electron at rest; outgoing photon has wavelength lambda + Delta lambda at…

Related concepts

Triangle inequality
Theorem: Delta lambda(theta = pi/2) - h/(m_e c) = 0 (Compton wavelength at 90 deg)

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