Knowra Inelastic scattering Inelastic scattering Inelastic scattering is an interaction in which a particle or wave transfers energy to or from a target, changing the energy or internal state of one or both.
Elastic scattering : Scattering in which total kinetic energy is conserved and the internal states of the interacting systems remain unchanged. It marks the boundary: inelastic scattering changes energy or internal state.
Raman spectroscopy : A spectroscopic technique that probes molecular vibrations through frequency shifts in inelastically scattered light. The shifted photon energies directly encode vibrational modes.
Scattering : A change in the direction, energy, or state of a particle or wave caused by interaction with matter or a field. Inelastic scattering is the energy-transfer subset of scattering interactions.
Absorption (electromagnetic radiation) : The transfer of electromagnetic energy to matter, reducing the radiation that continues along its original path. Unlike scattering, absorption removes the incident photon rather than redirecting an outgoing one.
Energy conservation : The principle that energy in an isolated system remains constant, though it may change form or move between components. The apparent energy loss of a scattered projectile becomes energy gained by the target or emitted products.
Compton scattering : The inelastic scattering of a photon by a charged particle, commonly an electron, with a change in photon wavelength. It is a canonical example of energy exchange between a photon and an electron.
Quantum state : A mathematical description of the physical state of a quantum system, used to predict measurement outcomes. Inelastic events often move the target between distinct quantum states.
Coherent scattering : Scattering in which phase relationships among scattered waves remain sufficiently fixed to produce interference. Coherent processes can preserve probe energy, unlike the defining energy exchange here.
Excitation (physics) : A transition of a system from a lower-energy state to a higher-energy state without changing its basic identity. Many inelastic collisions transfer energy by exciting the target.
Electron energy-loss spectroscopy : A technique that measures energy lost by transmitted electrons to determine a material’s composition and excitations. Electron losses reveal electronic, vibrational, and elemental properties of specimens.
Show all 21