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Physical Review

Simultaneity in the Compton Effect

Zoltan Bay, Victor P. Henri, F. McLernon

Published Mar 15, 1955• 11 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The simultaneity in the Compton effect has been investigated by using scintillation counters and fast coincidence techniques. By the use of a gamma-ray source of a known, very short, lifetime (${\mathrm{Ni}}^{60}$) it was possible to apply a first moment investigation to the time delays involved.It is shown that the order of magnitude of all possible time delays involved in the Compton effect does not exceed ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}11}$ second. Upper limits previously given were \ensuremath{\sim}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}8}$ second.

DOI
10.1103/physrev.97.1710

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The simultaneity in the Compton effect has been investigated by using scintillation counters and fast coincidence techniques. By the use of a gamma-ray source of a known, very short, lifetime (Ni60{\mathrm{Ni}}^{60}Ni60) it was possible to apply a first moment investigation to the time delays involved.It is shown that the order of magnitude of all possible time delays involved in the Compton effect does not exceed 10\ensuremath−11{10}^{\ensuremath{-}11}10\ensuremath−11 second. Upper limits previously given were \ensuremath{\sim}10\ensuremath−8{10}^{\ensuremath{-}8}10\ensuremath−8 second.
The Bothe-Geiger experiment has been repeated under improved conditions of time resolution, obtained by using stillbene scintillation counters. The recoil electron and scattered photon are emitted together within a time interval of less than 1.5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}8}$ second. The electron and photon are also projected without a delay larger than 1.5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}8}$ second after arrival of a quantum. The familiar concepts used in discussions of the Compton effect are shown to be valid.
Classical phase-modulation theory is applied to describe the interference of the recoil-free gamma-radiaton fields emitted by a M\"ossbauer source and a resonant absorber in forward-scattering geometry. During the exponential decay of the excited state in the source the resonant absorber develops and emits a coherent field, which interferes destructively with the source field. A stepwise phase change of the source field relative to the absorber field is introduced by a fast mechanical displacement of the source. As a result, an intense pulse of gamma rays is observed in the time dependence of the resonantly filtered radiation. This coherent transient phenomenon is called a gamma echo. The time reference of the gamma-echo experiment is the moment of formation of the excited state in the source. This is in contrast to earlier transient M\"ossbauer experiments in which the measurements were synchronized to the phase of the modulation and averaging occurred over all possible times of formation of the excited state. By choosing a suitable shape for the phase-modulation function in the echo experiment, short pulses of gamma radiation with desired duration and amplitude can be generated within a time frame defined by the lifetime of the excited nuclear state. Here, a detailed description of the experimental and theoretical aspects of stepwise phase modulation in a coincidence scheme is given. Theoretical results are presented in a general form, taking into account the experimental nonidealities. The properties of the mechanical drive system are discussed in detail. Gamma-echo data are presented. Good agreement between the theoretical calculations and the experimental data has been established.
A test has been made of the photon theory of the scattering of high frequency radiation. The pairs of scattered photons and recoil electrons predicted by this theory have been looked for by means of specially designed Geiger-M\"uller counters. Coincident discharges in the electron and photon counters were recorded by means of a vacuum tube amplifying and adding circuit. The scatterers used were air, aluminum, beryllium, filter paper and paraffin. The radiation was the gamma-rays from radium C. Experiments were performed with the counters set at various angles, some where the photon theory predicts coincidences, and others where coincidences should not be expected. The experiments uniformly gave fewer coincidences in the correct positions than were expected, and those observed could in every case be accounted for as chance coincidences due to the finite resolving time of the apparatus. It has not been found possible to bring the results of these experiments into accord with the photon theory of scattering. The wave-mechanical theory of the scattering process has not yet been extended to include the gamma-ray region so that it is impossible to compare this theory with the present experiments. Unless it is shown that the two theories disagree in the gamma-ray region it does not seem possible to reconcile the present experiment with the Bothe-Geiger and Compton-Simon experiments.
We present the concept and development of a novel accelerator-based source of high-intensity quantum-entangled 511 keV gamma-ray pairs produced through positron-electron annihilation. The source leverages the unique capabilities of the proposed Jefferson Lab positron facility to generate polarized, high-current positron beams with a well-defined time structure. These beams enable the production of entangled annihilation photons at intensities far exceeding those available from conventional radioactive sources. The resulting gamma-ray pairs can be characterized using Compton polarimetry techniques, providing a powerful platform for precision studies of quantum entanglement. The combination of high intensity, controllable polarization, and precise timing also opens new opportunities in medical imaging, materials science, quantum information science, and spintronics. Compared with traditional radioactive sources, the proposed system offers orders-of-magnitude higher photon flux, tunable beam parameters, and unprecedented control of the annihilation process. We discuss the source design, methods for entanglement characterization, potential applications, and future development directions.
If "hidden variables" exist, they might become observable in radioactive samples that have decayed for many half-lives. No large deviations from exponential decrease occur in the decay of the intensity of the 1.8-Mev gamma rays from Mn56{\mathrm{Mn}}^{56}Mn56 during the first 34 half-lives.