Compton shift derivation:

Compton wanted to study the scattering phenomena of X-rays with a

Carbon target. The schematic diagram of his experimental setup is as
shown in the following figure.

To clearly demonstrate the shift in the wavelength of the X-rays, he has

chosen monochromatic X-rays. Collimators are used to focus the X-rays
finely.

X-ray spectrometer is used to detect the scattered X-rays. Spectrometer

is planned to travel through a circular track, so as to receive scattered X-
rays from 𝟇=0° (for X-rays which are penetrating through the target) to
𝟇=180°.
Here X-rays photons energy could be chosen in such a way that electrons
will not be ejected outside the carbon atoms. The electrons are just
recoiled (sprang back) due to the collision of the X-ray photons. Thus x-
ray photons are scattered by the electrons.

Compton’s experimental results are as shown in the figure. If photons

were behaved only as waves there should not be any new waves with
new wavelength as shown for scattering angles 𝟇=45°, 𝟇=90°, 𝟇=90°
and 𝟇=135°. The additional waves with wavelengths are due to the
particle nature of the X-rays.

Compton mathematically estimated the shift in the wavelength of the

X-rays by using the laws of conservation of energy and momentum of X-
ray photons and electrons.
Energy,
 Energy

before collision:

𝑃ℎ𝑜𝑡𝑜𝑛′ 𝑠 𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦 = ℎ𝜗
𝐸𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑛′ 𝑠 𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦 = 𝑚0 𝑐 2
Total energy = ℎ𝜗 + 𝑚0 𝑐 2
after collision:

𝑃ℎ𝑜𝑡𝑜𝑛′ 𝑠 𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦 = ℎ𝜗′

𝐸𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑛′ 𝑠 𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦 = 𝑚𝑐 2
Total energy = ℎ𝜗′ + 𝑚𝑐 2
By law of Conservation of energy, before and after collision the total
energy of the system (Photon and electron) should be equal.

ℎ𝜗 + 𝑚0 𝑐 2 = ℎ𝜗′ + 𝑚𝑐 2 − − − −1
Momentum

before Collision

along x –axis
ℎ𝜗
𝑃ℎ𝑜𝑡𝑜𝑛′ 𝑠 𝑚𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑢𝑚 =
𝑐
𝐸𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑛′ 𝑠 𝑚𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑢𝑚 = 0
ℎ𝜗
𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑚𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑢𝑚 =
𝑐
along y –axis

𝑃ℎ𝑜𝑡𝑜𝑛′ 𝑠 𝑚𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑢𝑚 = 0
𝐸𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑛′ 𝑠 𝑚𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑢𝑚 = 0
𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑚𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑢𝑚 = 0
after Collision

along x –axis

′
ℎ𝜗′ cos ∅
𝑃ℎ𝑜𝑡𝑜𝑛 𝑠 𝑚𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑢𝑚 =
𝑐
𝐸𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑛′ 𝑠 𝑚𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑢𝑚 = 𝑚𝑣 cos 𝜃
ℎ𝜗′ cos ∅
𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑚𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑢𝑚 = + 𝑚𝑣 cos 𝜃
𝑐
along y –axis

′
ℎ𝜗′ sin ∅
𝑃ℎ𝑜𝑡𝑜𝑛 𝑠 𝑚𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑢𝑚 =
𝑐
𝐸𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑛′ 𝑠 𝑚𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑢𝑚 = −𝑚𝑣 sin 𝜃
ℎ𝜗′ sin ∅
𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑚𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑢𝑚 = − 𝑚𝑣 sin 𝜃
𝑐
Momentum along x axis (before and after)
ℎ𝜗 ℎ𝜗′ cos ∅
= + 𝑚𝑣 cos 𝜃
𝑐 𝑐
ℎ𝜗 ℎ𝜗′ cos ∅ ℎ
𝑚𝑣 cos 𝜃 = − = (𝜗 − 𝜗′ cos ∅)
𝑐 𝑐 𝑐
 ℎ
𝑚𝑣 cos 𝜃 = (𝜗 − 𝜗′ cos ∅)
𝑐
𝑚𝑣𝑐 cos 𝜃 = ℎ(𝜗 − 𝜗′ cos ∅) − − − − − 2
2
𝑚2 𝑣 2 𝑐 2 𝑐𝑜𝑠 2 𝜃 = ℎ2 (𝜗2 +𝜗′ cos 2 ∅ − 2𝜗𝜗′ cos ∅)

Momentum along y axis (before and after)

ℎ𝜗′ sin ∅
− 𝑚𝑣 sin 𝜃 = 0
𝑐
ℎ𝜗′ sin ∅
= 𝑚𝑣 sin 𝜃
𝑐
𝑚𝑣𝑐 sin 𝜃 = ℎ𝜗′ sin ∅ − − − − − 3
2
𝑚2 𝑣 2 𝑐 2 𝑠𝑖𝑛2 𝜃 = ℎ2 𝜗′ sin2 ∅
Add equation (2 and 3)

𝑚2 𝑣 2 𝑐 2 (𝑠𝑖𝑛2 𝜃 + 𝑐𝑜𝑠 2 𝜃)
2 2
= ℎ2 (𝜗′ sin2 ∅+𝜗′ cos2 ∅+𝜗2 − 2𝜗𝜗′ cos ∅)
2
𝑚2 𝑣 2 𝑐 2 = ℎ2 [𝜗′ (sin2 ∅ + cos 2 ∅)+𝜗2 − 2𝜗𝜗′ cos ∅]
2
𝑚2 𝑣 2 𝑐 2 = ℎ2 [𝜗′ +𝜗2 − 2𝜗𝜗′ cos ∅] − − − − − 4
𝑚0
Relativistic mass 𝑚 = 2
−−−−−−−5
√1−𝑣2
𝑐

𝑚2 (𝑐 2 − 𝑣 2 ) = 𝑚0 2 𝑐 2
𝑚2 𝑐 2 (𝑐 2 − 𝑣 2 ) = 𝑚0 2 𝑐 4 − − − −6
𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 1, 𝑚𝑐 2 = ℎ𝜗 − ℎ𝜗′ + 𝑚0 𝑐 2
𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 1, 𝑚𝑐 2 = ℎ(𝜗 − 𝜗′ ) + 𝑚0 𝑐 2
 2
𝑚2 𝑐 4 = ℎ2 (𝜗2 + 𝜗′ − 2𝜗𝜗′ ) + 𝑚02 𝑐 4 + 2ℎ(𝜗 − 𝜗′ )𝑚0 𝑐 2 − − − −7
2
𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 4, 𝑚2 𝑣 2 𝑐 2 = ℎ2 [𝜗′ +𝜗2 − 2𝜗𝜗′ cos ∅]

𝑚2 𝑐 4 − 𝑚2 𝑣 2 𝑐 2
2
= ℎ2 (𝜗2 + 𝜗′ − 2𝜗𝜗′ ) + 𝑚02 𝑐 4 + 2ℎ(𝜗 − 𝜗′ )𝑚0 𝑐 2
2
− (ℎ2 [𝜗′ +𝜗2 − 2𝜗𝜗′ cos ∅])

𝑚2 𝑐 4 − 𝑚2 𝑣 2 𝑐 2
2
= ℎ2 (𝜗2 + 𝜗′ − 2𝜗𝜗′ ) + 𝑚02 𝑐 4 + 2ℎ(𝜗 − 𝜗′ )𝑚0 𝑐 2
2
− (ℎ2 [𝜗′ +𝜗2 − 2𝜗𝜗′ cos ∅])

𝑚2 𝑐 2 (𝑐 2 − 𝑣 2 ) =
= −2ℎ2 𝜗𝜗′ (1 − 𝑐𝑜𝑠∅) + 2ℎ(𝜗 − 𝜗′ )𝑚0 𝑐 2 + 𝑚02 𝑐 4 − −7

𝑚0 2 𝑐 4 = −2ℎ2 𝜗𝜗′ (1 − 𝑐𝑜𝑠∅) + 2ℎ(𝜗 − 𝜗′ )𝑚0 𝑐 2 + 𝑚02 𝑐 4

𝑚0 2 𝑐 4 = −2ℎ2 𝜗𝜗′ (1 − 𝑐𝑜𝑠∅) + 2ℎ(𝜗 − 𝜗′ )𝑚0 𝑐 2 + 𝑚02 𝑐 4
0 = −2ℎ2 𝜗𝜗′ (1 − 𝑐𝑜𝑠∅) + 2ℎ(𝜗 − 𝜗′ )𝑚0 𝑐 2
2ℎ2 𝜗𝜗′ (1 − 𝑐𝑜𝑠∅) = 2ℎ(𝜗 − 𝜗′ )𝑚0 𝑐 2
ℎ (𝜗 − 𝜗 ′ )
(1 − 𝑐𝑜𝑠∅) =
𝑚0 𝑐 2 𝜗𝜗′
ℎ 1 1
( 1 − 𝑐𝑜𝑠∅) = ( − )
𝑚0 𝑐 2 𝜗′ 𝜗
ℎ 𝜆′ 𝜆 1 ′ 1
( 1 − 𝑐𝑜𝑠∅) = ( − ) = ( 𝜆 − 𝜆 ) = ∆𝜆
𝑚0 𝑐 2 𝑐 𝑐 𝑐 𝑐
ℎ 1
( 1 − 𝑐𝑜𝑠∅) = ∆𝜆
𝑚0 𝑐 2 𝑐
 ℎ
∆𝜆 = (1 − 𝑐𝑜𝑠∅)
𝑚0 𝑐

Where, m0 − electron′ s mass; c - velocity of light; ∅ −

photon′ s scattering angle