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Daniel Petka
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Isn't Inverse Compton scattering just the Doppler's effect? A fast moving electron gets slowed down by a photon. This photon then becomes blue shifted, becoming a gamma ray. Kinda makes sense.
Is Inverse Compton Scattering Related to the Doppler Effect?
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- Thread starter Daniel Petka
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In summary, inverse Compton scattering involves a fast moving electron being slowed down by a photon, causing the photon to become blue shifted and become a gamma ray. This process is similar to the Doppler effect, but the Doppler effect refers to shifts in frequency/wavelength of radiation from a moving source compared to the radiation in the rest frame of the source. This was originally described by Compton in his paper, but it can also be interpreted as a Doppler effect by calculating the kinematics in the rest frame of the electron and then boosting into the frame where the electron is moving.
- #2
Jilang
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I don't think so. The Doppler effect arises from the frame of the observer relative to the emitter.
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Daniel Petka
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In our case the observer is the electron
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No, Doppler effect refers to shifts in frequency/wavelength of radiation from a moving source compared to the radiation in the restframe of the source. No interaction is going on here that's responsible for the shift.
In inverse Compton scattering you have, as the name says, a scattering process.
In inverse Compton scattering you have, as the name says, a scattering process.
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Daniel Petka
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Ok
- #6
neilparker62
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You are nonetheless in good company with your thinking:Daniel Petka said:
Above extract is from Compton's original paper: https://history.aip.org/history/exhibits/gap/PDF/compton.pdf
- #7
neilparker62
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(sorry - I note I am responding to a dated thread)
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Of course you can reinterpret it as a Doppler effect by first calculating the kinematics in the rest frame of the electron (which is the "usual" Compton-scattering setup) and then boost into the frame, where the electron is moving, but that's somehow not very efficient.
1. What is inverse Compton scattering?
Inverse Compton scattering is a phenomenon in which high-energy electrons collide with lower-energy photons, resulting in an increase in the energy of the photons. This is the opposite of normal Compton scattering, where lower-energy electrons scatter off of higher-energy photons.
2. How does inverse Compton scattering occur?
Inverse Compton scattering occurs when high-energy electrons, typically found in astrophysical environments such as black holes or supernova remnants, interact with low-energy photons, such as those from the cosmic microwave background. The electrons transfer some of their energy to the photons, causing them to increase in energy and change direction.
3. What are the applications of inverse Compton scattering?
Inverse Compton scattering has various applications in astrophysics, including explaining the high-energy emission from astronomical objects such as blazars and gamma-ray bursts. It is also used in laboratory experiments to produce high-energy photons for medical and industrial purposes.
4. How is inverse Compton scattering related to the inverse-Compton scattering formula?
The inverse-Compton scattering formula is a mathematical expression that describes the relationship between the energy of the scattered photons and the energy of the electrons in an inverse Compton scattering event. It is used to calculate the expected energy of the scattered photons and is an essential tool in studying astrophysical phenomena involving inverse Compton scattering.
5. Can inverse Compton scattering be used to probe the properties of particles and fields?
Yes, inverse Compton scattering can be used as a tool to study the properties of particles and fields. By analyzing the energy and direction of the scattered photons, scientists can gain insights into the properties of the high-energy electrons and the electromagnetic fields in the astrophysical environments where the scattering occurs.
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