Thomson scattering

ID: thomson-scattering

Thomson scattering is the elastic scattering of electromagnetic radiation, particularly light, by free charged particles, such as electrons. This phenomenon was first described by the British physicist J.J. Thomson in 1901. In Thomson scattering, the incident photons interact with the electrically charged particles, causing the particles to oscillate. As these charged particles oscillate, they re-radiate the incoming light in all directions, which results in a scattering effect.

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