Compton, Arthur Holly
The American Arthur Holly Compton (1892 - 1962), son of a philosopher, was an experimental physicist.
In 1922, he found that X-ray quanta scattered by free electrons less energy than the incoming X-rays, the surplus energy having been transferred to the electrons. This demonstrated the particle concept of electromagnetic radiation.
In 1923, he published a paper that explained the X-ray shift by attributing particle-like momentum to photons, something Albert Einstein had invoked for his explanation of the photoelectric effect.
He lent his name to Compton scattering and the Compton wavelength.
See also
Last modified:10 January 2026 2.23 p.m.