Compton Effect

• 1923 Compton performed an experiment which

supported this idea
• directed a beam of x-rays of wavelength  onto a
carbon target
• x-rays are scattered in different directions


`


 = 71.1 pm (10-12 m) ` has 2 peaks

 Compton Scattering
• Wavelength ` of scattered x-rays has two peaks
• these occur at  and  + 
  >0 is the Compton shift
• classical physics predicts  =0

• Quantum picture:
• a single photon interacts with electrons in the
target
• light behaves like a ‘particle” of energy E=hf=hc/
and momentum p=h/  => a collision
 Compton Scattering
E`=hf `=hc/`

E=hf=hc/

K=mec2(-1)

• Conservation of energy E = E` + K
• => E` < E => f ` < f => ` > 
• X-ray momentum p=h/ p`= h/`
• electron momentum pe = mev
 Compton Scattering
E`=hf `=hc/`

E=hf=hc/

K=mec2(-1)

• Conservation of energy E = E` + K
• => E` < E => f ` < f => ` > 
• X-ray momentum p=h/ p`= h/`
• electron momentum pe = mev
 X-ray scattering

• Energy and momentum are conserved

• Momentum is a vector! F=dp/dt=0 => p = constant
h

 
h
cos   mv cos bp  constantg
x

0
h

sin   mv sin  dp  constanti
y

hc hc

 
 mc (  1)
2
benergy  constantg
 X-ray Scattering
h

 
h
cos   me v cos bp  constant g
x

0
h

sin   me v sin  dp  constanti
y

hc hc

 
 me c (  1)
2
benergy  constantg
• 3 equations in 5 variables: , `,v,,
• eliminate the electron variables v,  => find (v)
 ` -  =(h/mec) (1 - cos)
• = c (1 - cos) c is Compton wavelength
of the electron
 Compton Scattering

• ` -  =  c (1 - cos)
• =0 ==> ` = 
• =/2 ==> ` =  + c
• =  ==> ` =  + 2 c

• why are there two peaks?

 Compton Scattering
• “loosely” bound electrons in Carbon are ejected and
the x-rays are scattered
 ` -  =(h/mec) (1 - cos)
• “tightly” bound electrons are not ejected
=> photon interacts with entire carbon atom
• mass ~ 22,000 me =>  reduced by this factor
 Problem
• An x-ray beam of wavelength 0.01 nm
strikes a target containing free electrons.
Consider the xrays scattered back at 180 0
• Determine (a) change in wavelength of the
xrays (b) change in photon energy between
incident and scattered beams (c) the kinetic
energy transferred to the electron (d) the
electron’s direction of motion
 Solution
• X-ray beam has =.01 nm = 10 pm
 =1800
 ` -  =(h/mec) (1 - cos)
• = c (1 - cos) c is Compton
wavelength of the electron
• (a) =(h/cme)(1-cos(180))= 2h/cme
=2(6.63x10-34)/[(3x108)(9.11x10-31)] =2(2.43 pm)=
4.86 pm
• (b) E={ hc/ ` -hc/} =(6.63x10-34)
(3x108){1/14.86 -1/10}/(10-12) =-.65x10-14 J =
-.41x105 eV = -41 keV
 Solution
• (c) K (electron) = 41 keV
• (d) direction of electron?
• Momentum conserved => electron moves
forward

p
 Photons Revealed
• Can we devise an experiment where both the wave and
photon characteristics of light are involved?

• Photon has 50% chance of being transmitted or reflected at B

• reduce light beam energy to that of a single photon
• if photon picture is correct we get anticoincidences
• experiments were not convincing
 Designated Photons
• 1986 Grangier, Roger, Aspect replaced source S by beam
of calcium ions

• Calcium excited by a laser and emits two photons

• trigger photon turns detectors on and off (emitted and absorbed!)
• designated photon demonstrated anticoincidences!
• Supported the photon picture! - no wave interpretation possible
• other modifications are possible to demonstrate both wave and
photon properties of light - see section 45-6
 Slowing Atoms by Photon Bombardment
• A gas of atoms at room temperature is in constant motion
• for argon gas at T=3000K, vrms = (3kT/m)1/2 = 430 m/s !
• How can we use photons to slow these atoms down?

• Consider that the atom absorbs a photon with p=h/

mvi  h /   mv f

Typically a change of few cm/s

h /   m(vi  v f )  mv
due to a single photon

• Atoms moving in the same direction as the laser are

speeded up => no net slowing down
 Laser Cooling
• When a photon is absorbed, the atom moves from the ground
state to an excited state
• excited state does not have a well defined energy since it
only exists for a short time => uncertainty principle

Probability of absorption by atom at rest

Atom illuminated by two beams

laser greater than peak value
Photons absorbed from L slow it down and
those absorbed from R speed it up => do these effects cancel?
 Laser Cooling
• Doppler effect:
• atom detects L as a higher f or lower L < laser
• atom detects R as a lower f or higher R > laser
• probabilities are not the same!
• net reduction in speed results
• experiments use 6 laser beams

trap