2005/08/16 by Oscar F. Hernandez, Hernandez, Oscar F.
Physics and Astronomy · #FOS: Physical sciences #General Physics (physics.gen-ph) #Physics Education (physics.ed-ph) #physics.ed-ph #physics.gen-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.physics/0508101
3 pages
arxiv created 2005/08/16 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01
Traditional textbook explanations of the Compton effect treat the photon electron interaction as a particle collision. This explanation is a pedagogical disaster, implying that sometimes interactions are particle-like whereas quantum mechanics always demands that they be wave-like; a photon wavefunction evolves according to a wave equation until its collapse at measurement. If this is so why then does the classical radiation wave equation fail to predict the Compton effect? We address these issues and propose a clearer explanation.