Theory and Application of Compton Scattering Experiment

Abstract

Compton scattering has been a key concept in atomic and molecular physics, material science, condensed matter physics, and other fields ever since it was originally discovered by Arthur H. Compton in 1923. Additionally, the Compton camera, one of the applications of Compton scattering can gather sufficient data and information about photons with energies above 500 keV, which is important for scientific research into astronomy, medical imaging, and the visualization of radioactive materials. The free electron approximation, the impulse approximation, and the scattering matrix are some of the methods used to arrive at the Compton formula and the underlying principles of the Compton effect. In this article, a full derivation of Compton formula will be included, along with a deduction of the free electron approximation, which shows the relationship between Compton scattering and Thomson scattering, a low-energy limit of the former when the photon energy is much less than the mass energy of the particle. Also, the article will discuss several thoughts of Compton scattering, including the examination of the connection between wavelengths and relative intensities, the defiance of conservation laws, and virtual photon absorption.