Compton Scattering Experiment

An undergraduate laboratory study of the polarisation of annihilation photons using Compton scattering

“…The expected asymmetry R the is also shown, which accounts for the finite size of the detectors in each case. 19 1.99±0.15 2.17±0.12 1.39±0.05 1.56±0.10 1.8 Variation 1 1.77±0.12 2.05±0.14 1.91±0.09 1.04±0.01 1.84±0.09 1.9 Variation 2 1.94±0.19 1.79±0.16 1.87±0.12 1.08±0.02 1.73±0.12 1.9…”

“…This experiment complements a series of experiments on Compton scattering using γ-rays that has been an important part of the undergraduate laboratory for many decades. Various forms of such experiments have been proposed and implemented, from the measurement of absorption coefficients to probe the characteristics of the scattered photons [16], to experiments involving precision spectroscopy and timing components [17][18][19] and experiments investigating polarisation effects [20].…”

Studying the effect of polarisation in Compton scattering in the undergraduate laboratory

“…A typical example is the study of the Compton effect [1] in γ rays that found its place in the undergraduate training programme in the 1960s, and is still an important part of the training of young physicists. Various forms of the experiment have been proposed for the undergraduate laboratory, from the measurement of γ-ray absorption coefficients for probing the characteristics of the scattered photons [2], to experiments involving precision spectroscopy and timing [3][4][5]. The increasing precision that can be achieved with inexpensive means has led to extensions of laboratory exercises which demonstrate the relativistic energy-momentum relation for electrons [6] and the precision of detectors [7].…”