Compton Scattering: A Theory and Experiments (original) (raw)

Introduction: Compton scattering is a technique for determining the momentum distribution of electrons in condensed matter. When monochromatic photons are Compton scattered (inelastically scattered) in a fixed direction, the observed energy spectrum of the scattered photons is Doppler-broadened due to the motion of the target electrons. The objective of this review is to present the Compton scattering theory to researchers generally unfamiliar with this phenomenon and to lead the researchers to understanding of the fundamental principles of the Compton Scattering Theory and of the way in which they are employed in logical deductions and analyses. In this review, the theoretical and experimental considerations and energy limitations of the Compton scattering method are discussed. The method for extracting information about ground-state electron momentum densities through an analysis of the Compton line shape is presented. The various Compton sources and Compton scattering in current use are reviewed. Since 1970 Compton profile measurements have become more frequent and the experimental results for many Z-elements reported in the literature have been quoted to an accuracy of better than 1% for the total profiles. Today the Compton scattering is acknowledged as an important technique for investing the electronic structure of materials; it provides a sensitive test for the accuracy of the resulting electron wave functions obtained from different theoretical models. This has been demonstrated in view of the Compton scattering experiments successfully performed over a wide range of incident photon energies (10-662 KeV) used in various Compton spectrometer systems distributed around the world.