# Compton Scattering Angle - CM FRAME

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1. Jan 9, 2015

### unscientific

1. The problem statement, all variables and given/known data
Given incoming photon has energy 10Mev and scatters at angle 25 degrees, find the scattering angle in CM frame.

2. Relevant equations

3. The attempt at a solution

In lab frame, let the energy of incoming photon be $E$. Total 4-vector would be $P + Q = (\frac{E}{c},\frac{E}{c}) + (mc,0)$.

Using compton scattering formulas, I solved the scattering angle of electron $\alpha = 35 ^o$, energy of scatted electron $E_e = 4.02 ~MeV$, energy of scattered photon $E' = 5.47~MeV$.

Having solved this completely in the lab frame before/after scattering, how do I proceed in CM-frame?

In CM frame, total momentum is $0$, so 4-vector would be $P_{cm} + Q_{cm} = (\frac{E_{p,cm}+E_{e,cm}}{c},0)$.

Even when I assume that in CM frame they are both scattered along the same line it doesn't help.

2. Jan 10, 2015

### vela

Staff Emeritus
Did you mean $\alpha=35^\circ$ or is that a typo?

Since you know everything the lab frame, you can simply use the Lorentz transformation to find the four-vectors in the CM frame. Suppose the CM moves with speed $\beta=v/c$. Get expressions for the three-momentum of the photon and the electron in the CM frame. As you noted, their sum should be 0, which will allow you to determine $\beta$.

3. Apr 26, 2015

Solved.