1934/12/15 by G. Breit, John Wheeler · 2 citations
Physics and Astronomy · Medicine · #Dark Matter and Cosmic Phenomena #Radiation Therapy and Dosimetry #Quantum and Classical Electrodynamics #Physics #Photon #Positron #Electron #Atomic physics #Collision #Pair production #Compton scattering #Radiation #Absorption (acoustics) #Cosmic ray #Nuclear physics #Quantum mechanics #Optics
paper · doi:10.1103/physrev.46.1087
openalex publication_date 1934/12/15 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/30
The recombination of free electrons and free positrons and its connection with the Compton effect have been treated by Dirac before the experimental discovery of the positron. In the present note are given analogous calculations for the production of positron electron pairs as a result of the collision of two light quanta. The angular distribution of the ejected pairs is calculated for different polarizations, and formulas are given for the angular distribution of photons due to recombination. The results are applied to the collision of high energy photons of cosmic radiation with the temperature radiation of interstellar space. The effect on the absorption of such quanta is found to be negligibly small.