Lesson - 4

Compton Effect

When a beam of monochromatic x-rays is scattered by a light element such as carbon, the
scattered radiation in aparticular direction consists not only of the unmodified incident radia-
tion , but also of another new modified radiation of slightly shorter fequency. This type x-ray
scattering is called Compton scattering or Compton effect.

Explanation - On the basis of the wave theory, this phenomenon can not be explained,
However, it can be readily explained taking the corpuscular view. The whole process is treated
as collision between a photon (x-rays) and electron with the laws of conservation of energy and
momentum holding good. In this collision a portion of energy of incident photon is transferred
to the electron. As a result, the x-ray photon proceeeds with less than original energy and
therefore has a lower frequency or higher wavelength.

hν
The incident photon with energy hν and momentum c strikes an electron,cosidered free, at
′ ′
rest. The scattered photon of energy hν and momentum hνc moves off in a directioon inclined
at an angle φ to the original dorection. The energy of the recoil electron is mc2 .

According to the conservation equation for energy and momentum, we get

′
hν + mc2 = hν + mc2 (1)

′
hν hν
= cos φ + mv cos θ (2)
c c
′
hν
0= sin φ − mv sin θ (3)
c
Now from Eq. (2) we have
′
hν hν
mv cos θ = − cos φ (4)
c c
From Eq. (3) we have
′
hν
mv sin θ = sin φ (5)
c
Squaring and adding the above two equations, we get
2 ′
!2 ′
2h2 νν

2 2 hν hν
m v = + − cos φ (6)
c c c2
or
2 ′
!2 ′
m2 β 2 c2 2h2 νν

hν hν
= + − cos φ (7)
1 − β2 c c c2
From Eq. (1) we have

1
 m2 c2 = (hν − hν ′ + m0 c2 )2

or
2 ′
!2 ′
m20 c2 2h2 νν

hν hν ′
= + + m20 c2 − + 2m0 h(ν − ν ) (8)
1 − β2 c c c 2

Subtracting Eq. (7) from Eq. (8), we obtain

h2 νν′
m0 h(ν − ν′ ) = c2
(1 − cos φ)

c c h
− = c(1 − cos φ) (9)
ν ′ ν m0
h
λ′ − λ = ∆λ = (1 − cos φ) (10)
mO c
c c
where λ = ν and λ′ = ν′ are respectively the wavelengths of the incident and scattered radia-
tions.

φ
∆λ = λc (1 − cos φ) = 2λc sin2 (11)
2
where λc = mh0 is Compton wavelength = 0.0243Ȧ, It is a universal constant.
It should be noted that the change of wavelength ∆λ is independent of incident radiation. It
is also independent of the scattering material and depends only on the angle of scattering φ.

Now dividing Eq. (4) and (5), we get

ν′ sin φ sin φ
tan θ = = ν (12)
ν − ν′ cos φ ν′

hν
Writing α = m0 c 2
, we have from Eq. (9)

ν φ
= 1 + 2α sin2 (13)
ν′ 2

Substituting in Eq, (12), we get

cot θ = (1 + α) tan φ2

This is the relation between the angle of scattering of the photon (φ) and the angle at which
the recoil electron is emitted (θ).
Now the kinetic energy of the recoil electron is given by
 
α(1 − cos φ)
Te = hν − hν′ = hν (14)
1 + α(1 − cosφ)
Unmodified lines
The analytical treatment holds for a free electron, not bound to an atom. If the x-ray photon
(gamma ray photon) collides wioth a bound electron, the whole atom recoils as a result of

2
Compton scattering and mo in the expressions is to be replaced by mA , the mass of the atom.
So from Eq. (10) we have
h
λ′ − λ = ∆λ = (1 − cos φ) (15)
mA c
Thus ∆λ → 0 for all values of φ since mA >> m0 . This gives rise to the unmodified wave-
lengths in the oberved scattered radiation.

Compton shift is not observed using visible light:

Avarage wavelength of visible light λ ≈ 6000Ȧ
So energy of photon of visible light (E) = hc
λ =≈ 2eV . It is found that the binding energy of
an electron in an atom is E0 ≈ 10eV . So E0 > E. Hence it is not possible to recoil electron
from the scatterer using visible light.

Why can’t photon deliver allits energy to an electron in Compton scattering?

Let us consider that in Compton scattering the incident photon delivers all its energy to a free
electron which means there will be no scattered photon.
So from conservation priciple of energy one can have

hν + m0 c2 = mc2 = q m0 c 2
2
1− v2
c

or

!
1
hν = m0 c2 v2
−1 (16)
1− c2
Momentum conservation principle gives us

hν m0 v
c = mv = 2
1− v2
c

or
m0 vc
hν = v2
(17)
1− c2
From Eq. (16) and (17) we get
v v2
1− c =1− c2

or

v=c

But an electron having a finite non-zero mass cannot travelwith a speed of light in free space c,
so our initial assumption was wrong. A scattered photon must appear in order to keep energy
and momentum conserved.

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 2hν
Again we know the maximum kinetic energy of recoil electron is Temax = m0 c2
. For
2hν
+2
2
Temax = hν to be possible when m2hν 0c
→ 0 ⇒ hν → ∞. So a photon carrying finite energy
cannot transfer all its energy to an free electron.

Problems
T ∆λ
1. Show that E = λ+∆λ , where E is the energy of incident photon, T is the kinetic energy of
recoil electron.
2. What should be the maximum wavelengthof the incidnt photon such that half its energy is
transferred to teh electron? What is the velocityof the scattered electron?
3. A 2M eV gamma photon is scattered by a free electron at an angle 180o . What is the kinetic
energy of the recoil electron? What is the total energy?
4. Consider that a photon of wavelength 0.5nm moves along x-axis and strikes a free electron
initially at rest. It gets scattered along y-axis. What are the x and y components of electron’s
velocity after collision?
5. A free electron at rest is struck by a photon of wavelength o.5nm. What is its speed after
collision if the photon is scattered backward?