a phenomenon in which a collision between a photon and a particle results in an increase in the kinetic energy of the particle and a corresponding increase in the wavelength of the photon
Word origin
C20: named after Arthur Holly Compton
Compton effect in American English
noun
Physics
the increase in wavelength of monochromatic, electromagnetic radiation, as a beam of photons or x-rays, when it is scattered by particles whose size is small compared to the wavelength of the radiation
Also called: Compton-Debye effect (ˈkɑmptən deˈbai)
Word origin
[1920–25; named after A. H. compton]This word is first recorded in the period 1920–25. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: Unknown Soldier, audio, checkout, montage, ski jump