Photon Tracking Code: Calc New dx, dy, dz after 1st Scatter

[Uranium]

Hello all,

I'm working on coding a program that tracks photons based on Compton Scattering. However, I'm having an issue on how to deal with photons with multiple scatters. So, phi (polar) and theta (azimuthal) range from 0-pi/2 and 0-2pi, respectively, based on a random number generator. How do I calculate the new dx, dy, and dz after the first scatter. I guess I'm just not sure how to represent the incident vector and its effect on the vector after collision.

 

[Hologram0110]

If I understand correctly your problem how to determine the position of the new vector in the original coordinate frame?

IE, you have a particle with moving with vector (Vx,Vy,Vz) (or alternatively (V,theta,phi)) in the original frame. This particle then interacts by scattering causing it to change direction. The scattering angle is measured from the incident vector and this needs to be represented in the original frame.

The only way I know how to do this is to use transformation matrices which can get messy pretty quickly. I've done similar problem for my robotics class in the pass, you may find it useful to look at the problem from a similar way.
Try starting with this link:
http://commons.bcit.ca/math/examples/robotics/linear_algebra/index.html

 

[raining Pete]

Hi there,

It sounds like you're working on a really interesting project! Dealing with multiple scatters can definitely be tricky, but there are a few things you can try to calculate the new dx, dy, and dz after the first scatter.

One approach is to use the scattering angle to calculate the new direction of the photon after the scatter. This can be done using the equations for Compton Scattering, which relate the incident and scattered photon angles to the energy and momentum of the photon.

Another approach is to use a Monte Carlo simulation, where you randomly generate the scattering angles for each scatter and track the photon's path using those angles. This can give you a more accurate representation of the scattering process, but it may require more computational power.

I hope this helps! Good luck with your project.