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Compton Effect

Also known as Compton scattering, the decrease in energy of a photon when it collides with a particle of matter, transferring momentum to the matter. An inverse effect [Compton shift] may also occur, where the photon gains energy from an interaction with matter.

First observed by Arthur Compton in 1923, the effect offered dramatic confirmation of both the particle behavior of light and the conservation of energy and momentum in physical interactions. Compton was awarded the Nobel prize for the discovery.

A standard equation was developed to determine the Compton wavelength of a given particle, useful for tracking the exchanges of energy and momentum in particle collisions as plotted in Feynman diagrams. The Compton wavelength can be thought of as a fundamental limitation on the ability to measure the position of a particle, taking quantum mechanics and special relativity (and uncertainty) into consideration. The Compton wavelength for a stationary electron is 2.4263102175 X 10^-12 meter. Different particles have different Compton wavelengths.

Web Resources On Compton Effect

The Compton Effect
Compton Scattering

Book Resources On Compton Effect

Light Scattering by Small Particles by H.C. van de Hulst
Scattering Theory of Waves and Particles by Roger G. Newton

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