Rayleigh scattering

Creagh, D. C.

doi:10.1107/97809553602060000592

International
Tables for
Crystallography
Volume C
Mathematical, physical and chemical tables
Edited by E. Prince

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International Tables for Crystallography (2006). Vol. C. ch. 4.2, p. 242

Section 4.2.6.1.1. Rayleigh scattering

D. C. Creagh^b

4.2.6.1.1. Rayleigh scattering

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When photons interact with atoms, a number of different scattering processes can occur. The dominant scattering mechanisms are: elastic scattering from the bound electrons (Rayleigh scattering); elastic scattering from the nucleus (nuclear Thomson scattering ); virtual pair production in the field of the screened nucleus (Delbrück scattering ); and inelastic scattering from the bound electrons (Compton scattering ).

Of the elastic scattering processes, only Rayleigh scattering has a significant amplitude in the range of photon energies used by crystallographers ( $[\lt]$ 100 keV). Compton scattering will be discussed elsewhere (Section 4.2.4).

The essential feature of Rayleigh scattering is that the internal energy of the atom remains unchanged in the interaction. The momentum $[\hbar{\bf k}_i]$ and polarization $[{\boldvarepsilon}_i]$ of the incident photon may be modified during the process to $[\hbar{\bf k}_f]$ and $[{\boldvarepsilon}_f]$ $[(\hbar{\bf k}_i,{\boldvarepsilon}_i)+A\rightarrow A+(\hbar{\bf k}_f,{\boldvarepsilon}_f).]$

References

International Tables for Crystallography (2006). Vol. C. ch. 4.2, p. 242