resonant scattering

resonant scattering

[′res·ən·ənt ′skad·ə·riŋ] (quantum mechanics) Scattering of a photon by a quantum-mechanical system (usually an atom or nucleus) in which the system first absorbs the photon by undergoing a transition from one of its energy states to one of higher energy, and subsequently reemits the photon by the exact inverse transition.