Classical theory of Compton scattering: Assessing the validity of the Dirac-Lorentz equation
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550 (United States)
The Dirac-Lorentz equation describes the dynamics of a classical point charge in an electromagnetic field, accounting for radiative effects in a manifestly covariant and gauge-invariant manner. The validity of this equation is assessed by direct comparison between the Dirac-Lorentz dynamics of an electron subjected to a plane wave in vacuum and the well-known recoil associated with Compton scattering. In the small recoil limit, the classical Dirac-Lorentz is shown to yield the correct momentum transfer. For larger values of the recoil, the quantum scale appears explicitly, and the classical Dirac-Lorentz equation does not properly model this situation, as shown by deriving an exact analytical solution for a monochromatic plane wave of wave number k{sub 0} to any order in k{sub 0}r{sub 0}, where r{sub 0} is the classical electron radius.
- OSTI ID:
- 20706339
- Journal Information:
- Physical Review. E, Statistical Physics, Plasmas, Fluids, and Related Interdisciplinary Topics, Vol. 72, Issue 2; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevE.72.026502; (c) 2005 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1063-651X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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