For high energy particles,

E  M 02C 4  P 2C 2
Since the photon has no rest mass, M 0  0
 E  PC
E
P
C
h
 P
C

 All objects emit energy in the form of electromagnetic waves. These waves are produce by
the oscillations of objects found in atom and molecules.

 Max Plank’s quantum hypothesis states that the energy associated with atomic and
molecular oscillations is quantized; that is the energy can only be a integer multiple of hf.
Where h is planck’s constant and f is frequency.

 Albert Einstein extended this hypothesis. He argued that when energy in the form of light
emits by a molecular vibration, the energy of the molecule is decrease by a quantized
amount to the energy of that particular vibration.

Quantum theory of light: Einstein proposed that light emits or travel as discrete bundles or
packets of energy. This discrete amount of energy is known as quanta of light or photon.

The energy of each photon is directly proportional to the frequency of light.

A photon has an energy E proportional to its frequency f by E = hf = hc/λ.

Here h is planck’s constant, λ is the wavelength of light and c is the speed of light.

[ h = 6.625x10-34 J.s and c = 3x108 m/s]

 Photo-electric theory and Compton effect confirmed the quantum theory of light.

Compton Effect: Compton effect was an experiment conducted by Arthur H.Compton in 1923 that
confirmed the quantum theory of light.

When electromagnetic radiation with short wavelengths ( x-rays ) strikes an free outer shell
electron and scattered away from its original direction of motion, the electron receives energy and
begins to move. In this case the frequency of the photon changes. This phenomenon is known as
Compton Effect. The probability of a Compton reaction is independent of the atomic number of the
absorber, but depends on the total number of electron in an absorber.
Find out the expression of change in wavelength of the incident photon during Compton
Effect.
Fig: Schematic representation of Compton effect.

h h 
Let the initial and final momentum of the photon is and respectively
c c
And the initial and final momentum of the electron is 0 and P respectively
Now applying the conservation law of momentum along the incident photon direction we can write,
Initial momentum = final momentum

Or, Initial momentum of the photon Initial momentum of the electron = final momentum of the
photon + final momentum of the electron

h h 
 0 cos  PCos
c c
 Pc Cos  h  h  Cos  ....(1)
Similarly, along the perpendicular direction of that photon,
Initial momentum = final momentum

h 
0 Sin   P Sin
c
 Pc Sin  h  Sin ....(2)
Squaring equation (1) and (2), then adding we get,
P 2 c 2  h   2h h  Cos  h 
2 2

 P 2 c 2  h   2h h  Cos  h   2h h   2h h 

2 2

 P 2 c 2  h  h    2h h  (1  Cos )

2

 P 2 c 2  T 2  2h h  (1  Cos ) .....(3) [ Loss in photon energy  Gain in electron energy]

Now, we know the total energy of a particle is

E  T  M 0c 2
Also , E  M 02 c 4  P 2 c 2
If we equate the two expressions for the total energy of a particle, we get

T  M 0c 2  M 02 c 4  P 2 c 2

 T  M 0c 2 
2
 M 02 c 4  P 2 c 2
 T 2  2TM 0 c 2  M 02 c 4  M 02 c 4  P 2 c 2
 T 2  2TM 0 c 2  P 2 c 2
 P 2 c 2  T 2  2TM 0 c 2 .....(4)

Using equation (3) and (4) we can write

2TM 0 c 2  2h h  (1  Cos )

 h  h M 0 c 2  h h  (1  Cos )
c c c c
 h   M 0 c 2  h 2 . (1  Cos )
     
    c c
 c  M 0 c  h . (1  Cos )
2

     
h
    (1  Cos )
M 0c
h
     (1  Cos )
M 0c
This equation gives the change in wavelength expected for a photon that is scattered through the
angle  by a particle of rest mass M0. it is independent of the wavelength of the incident photon.
h
The quantity is called the Compton Wavelength of the Scattering photon.
M 0c

Problem: A beam of X rays is scattered by free electrons. At 450 from the beam direction the scattered X rays
have a wavelength of 0.025A. What is the wavelength of the X rays in the direct beam?

Problem: A monochromatic X ray beam whose wavelength is 0.558A is scattered through 460 . Find the
wavelength of the scattered beam.