Photon scattering with a moving electron

wakko101
Messages
61
Reaction score
0
Hello,

The problem I have is trying to derive a formula for the compton equation, but instead of having the electron at rest, it is moving in the same direction as the incident photon. I've tried deriving it in the same manner as deriving it for an electron at rest (ie. I've simply made the change that the initial momentum and energy of the electron is no longer 0, with electron initial and final energies being of the form E=sqrt(m^2c^4 + p^2c^2)), but it seems to me that doing so results in too many extra terms that don't cancel out.

Is there something I'm missing here?

Thanks,
W. =)
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Best to do the calculation in the frame where the electron is initially at rest, so that you can use the Compton scattering formula. Then transform to the original frame. Or, if you're comfortable with the derivation of the Compton scattering formula, just do the usual transform to the zero-momentum frame where things are easy, then back out.
 
genneth said:
Best to do the calculation in the frame where the electron is initially at rest, so that you can use the Compton scattering formula. Then transform to the original frame. Or, if you're comfortable with the derivation of the Compton scattering formula, just do the usual transform to the zero-momentum frame where things are easy, then back out.

Thanks for your post, I messed a lot with this problem trying to solve it in the rest-frame of earth.
 
Hi,
I think Thomson and Kleinn -Nishina scattering formulas appllies at lower and higher velocities respectively-see WIKI
Shankar
 
Thread 'Need help understanding this figure on energy levels'
This figure is from "Introduction to Quantum Mechanics" by Griffiths (3rd edition). It is available to download. It is from page 142. I am hoping the usual people on this site will give me a hand understanding what is going on in the figure. After the equation (4.50) it says "It is customary to introduce the principal quantum number, ##n##, which simply orders the allowed energies, starting with 1 for the ground state. (see the figure)" I still don't understand the figure :( Here is...
Thread 'Understanding how to "tack on" the time wiggle factor'
The last problem I posted on QM made it into advanced homework help, that is why I am putting it here. I am sorry for any hassle imposed on the moderators by myself. Part (a) is quite easy. We get $$\sigma_1 = 2\lambda, \mathbf{v}_1 = \begin{pmatrix} 0 \\ 0 \\ 1 \end{pmatrix} \sigma_2 = \lambda, \mathbf{v}_2 = \begin{pmatrix} 1/\sqrt{2} \\ 1/\sqrt{2} \\ 0 \end{pmatrix} \sigma_3 = -\lambda, \mathbf{v}_3 = \begin{pmatrix} 1/\sqrt{2} \\ -1/\sqrt{2} \\ 0 \end{pmatrix} $$ There are two ways...
Back
Top