The Compton Effect: Turning Point in Physics

Stuewer, Roger H.; Kuhn, Thomas S.

doi:10.1119/1.10519

Cited by 9 publications

(10 citation statements)

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“…When Compton launched the first phase of his research in 1917, the paradigm for particle scattering investigation was Thomson's classical theory of electrodynamics (Stuewer 1975(Stuewer & 1976. From the outset, Compton was a conservative scientist deeply committed to classical electrodynamics despite the discrepancy between its predictions and numbers derived from experiments.…”

Section: Arthur Holly Compton's Research Programme: the First Phasementioning

confidence: 99%

The Nature of Normal Science: Arthur Compton’s Research Programme as an Exemplar

Anele¹

2014

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's theory of normal science (NS), aside from being a provocative philosophical reconstruction of the relatively conservative phase of scientific research, contains useful ideas for systematic analysis of specific episodes in the history of science. Therefore, although the theory has been looked at from different angles since the first edition of The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (TSSR) was published in 1962, its detailed exploration of the cumulative phase of research in mature science is of abiding relevance in the philosophy of science. This is because NS provides a compelling account of how and why members of scientific communities succeed, largely, to produce reliable knowledge about an incompletely known phenomenal world. Again, the theory elucidates special features of scientific research that differentiate it from other creative enterprises. In that regard, this paper reconstructs Arthur Compton's research into x-ray scattering as a good instantiation of NS. Discussion of Compton's convincing demonstration of the particulate properties of electromagnetic radiation within the framework of NS showcases the elucidatory power of Kuhn's theory with respect to selected episodes in science, and corroborates the notion that the bulk of scientific work is a conservative puzzle-solving activity with the potential for precipitating scientific revolutions. To the best of my knowledge, this is the first time that Compton's groundbreaking work on x-ray scattering has been analysed within the framework of Kuhn's philosophy of science.

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Section: Arthur Holly Compton's Research Programme: the First Phasementioning

confidence: 99%

The Nature of Normal Science: Arthur Compton’s Research Programme as an Exemplar

Anele¹

2014

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“…[5] e [23]. Refletindo sobre este episódio histórico e o ensino de física, percebe-se que as discussões sobre as "teorias ditas radicais" não têm tido espaço na sala de aula de ciências por diversas razões já discutidas pelaárea de ensino de ciências.…”

Section: Considerações Finaisunclassified

“…Isto acaba sugerindo que o nosso personagem sempre estivera interessado no desenvolvimento da física quântica. Todavia, outros historiadores têm sido mais atentosà especificidade da prática científica de Compton, tais como [5][6][7] 3 . As principais contribuições de Comptonà física dos raios X e γ foram a descoberta da reflexão interna total dos raios X em 1922, o estudo sobre a distribuição dos elétrons nosátomos pelos métodos de difração, e obviamente, o efeito Compton [1, p. 795].…”

Section: Introductionunclassified

O modelo do grande elétron: o background clássico do efeito Compton

Silva

Freire

Silva

2011

Rev. Bras. Ensino Fís.

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A figura de Arthur Holly Compton geralmenteé concebida como um dos pais fundadores da teoria quântica devidoà sua formulação quântica para explicar o processo de interação entre a radiação de alta frequência e a matéria. Todavia, a história de Compton evidencia-nos um personagem que destoa da imagem de um físico interessado no desenvolvimento da teoria quântica. De fato, o seu interesse e a sua motivação, de 1916 a 1922, estavam relacionados com o uso da física clássica para o estudo do espalhamento dos raios X e γ pela matéria. A descoberta do efeito Compton foi o resultado obtido por um físico clássico que relutava em aceitar o quantum de radiação. O objetivo deste artigoé, portanto, destacar a imagem de um físico clássico que estava inserido em um programa de pesquisa bem definido, a física dos raios X e γ, a partir do qual ele contribuiu tanto para o desenvolvimento dessaárea de pesquisa quanto para a da construção da teoria quântica. Para isto, apresentaremos o modelo do grande elétron utilizado por Compton para explicar o processo de espalhamento dos raios X pela matéria. Palavras-chave: Arthur Holly Compton, física clássica, espalhamento dos raios X e γ, teoria quântica, história da física, história da ciência.Arthur Holly Compton's persona is usually conceived as one of the founder fathers of the quantum mechanics due to his quantum formulation to explain the process of interaction between the high-frequency radiation and matter. Nevertheless, the Compton's history revealed a character that disagrees of the physicist's image interested in the development of the quantum mechanics. In fact, his interest and motivation, from 1916 to 1922, were associated with the use of classical physics to deal with X and γ rays. The discovery of the Compton Effect was the result obtained by a classical physicist who was loath in accepting the quantum of radiation. Our objective is therefore emphasizing the image of a classical physicist who was inserted in a research program well definite, X and γ rays physics, from which he contributed both to the development of this research area and to the construction of the quantum mechanics. We will present the model of the large electron used by Compton to explain the X and γ radiation scattering processes. Keywords: Arthur Holly Compton, classical physics, X and γ rays scattering, quantum theory, history of physics, and history of science. IntroduçãoA imagem pública de Arthur Holly Compton (1892Compton ( -1962 sempre está associadaà sua contribuição para o desenvolvimento da velha teoria quântica devidoà sua descoberta do efeito Compton que lhe rendera o Prêmio Nobel de Física de 1927.2 De fato, tal descoberta foi uma forte evidência experimental da necessidade da quantização da radiação para explicação do espalhamento dos raios X pela matéria. Não obstante, a reconstrução da trajetória científica de Compton mostrou-nos um personagem que destoa da imagem de um físico quântico, um dos "pais fundadores da teoria quântica". De 1916De a 1922, o interesse e a motivação de Compton ref...

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“…In addition, in 1921 Arthur H. Compton (1892Compton ( -1962 discussed the possibility that the electron itself was magnetic creating additional magnetic moments in an atom (Compton, 1921;Stuewer, 1975). From data on atomic magnetism available at the time he concluded that the observed magnetism could not come from groups of atoms such as molecules because this effect was not visible in a displacement of the individual atoms and because Laue diagrams did not show that.…”

Section: Almost Discovery Of the Electron Spinmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Stern-Gerlach experiment revisited

Schmidt‐Böcking

Schmidt

Lüdde

et al. 2016

EPJ H

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The Stern-Gerlach-Experiment (SGE) performed in 1922 is a seminal benchmark experiment of quantum physics providing evidence for several fundamental properties of quantum systems. Based on the knowledge of today we illustrate the different benchmark results of the SGE for the development of modern quantum physics and chemistry.The SGE provided the first direct experimental evidence for angular momentum quantization in the quantum world and therefore also for the existence of directional quantization of all angular momenta in the process of measurement. Furthermore, it measured for the first time a ground state property of an atom, it produced for the first time a fully "spin-polarized" atomic beam, and it also revealed the electron spin, even though this was not realized at the time. The SGE was the first fully successful molecular beam experiment where the kinematics of particles can be determined with high momentum-resolution by beam measurements in vacuum. This technique provided a kind of new kinematic microscope with which inner atomic or nuclear properties could be investigated.Historical facts of the original SGE are described together with early attempts by Einstein, Ehrenfest, Heisenberg, and others to reveal the physical processes creating directional quantization in the SGE. Heisenberg's and Einstein's proposals of an improved multi-stage SGE are presented. The first realization of these proposed experiments by Stern, Phipps, Frisch and Segrè is described. The experimental set-up suggested by Einstein can be considered as an anticipation of a Rabi-apparatus with varying fields. Recent theoretical work by Wennerström and Westlund, by Devereux and others, is mentioned in which the directional quantization process and possible interference effects of the two different spin states are investigated. * Corresponding author: hsb@atom.uni-frankfurt.de In full agreement with the results of the new quantum theory directional quantization appears as a general and universal feature of quantum measurements. One experimental example for such directional quantization in scattering processes is shown. Last not least, the early history of the "almost" discovery of the electron spin in the SGE is revisited.

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The Compton Effect: Turning Point in Physics

Cited by 9 publications

References 0 publications

The Nature of Normal Science: Arthur Compton’s Research Programme as an Exemplar

The Nature of Normal Science: Arthur Compton’s Research Programme as an Exemplar

O modelo do grande elétron: o background clássico do efeito Compton

The Stern-Gerlach experiment revisited

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