Comptonsähköheittäminen

Comptonsähköheittäminen, also known as Compton scattering, is a physical phenomenon where an incoming photon scatters off a charged particle, typically an electron. This interaction results in a change in the photon's direction and energy, and a recoil of the charged particle. The effect is named after Arthur Compton, who first explained it in 1923.

In Compton scattering, the photon behaves like a particle with momentum. When it collides with an electron, momentum and energy are conserved. The scattered photon has a lower energy and thus a longer wavelength than the incident photon. The change in wavelength depends on the scattering angle, a relationship described by the Compton formula. This formula shows that the wavelength shift is independent of the initial wavelength of the photon and the nature of the scattering particle, provided it is much more massive than the photon's effective mass.

Compton scattering is crucial in understanding the interaction of electromagnetic radiation, especially X-rays and gamma rays, with matter. It plays a significant role in fields such as medical imaging, astrophysics, and radiation shielding. The phenomenon provides experimental evidence for the particle nature of light, supporting the concept of photons as discrete packets of energy. It was a key observation in the development of quantum mechanics.