Early Compton Effect experiments revisited: Evidence for outstanding hard X-ray reflectivity of speculum metal

TL;DR

This paper revisits early X-ray experiments and provides theoretical and computational evidence that speculum metal exhibits high reflectivity in the hard X-ray region, suggesting its potential as an effective mirror material.

Contribution

It offers a detailed theoretical analysis and comparison of speculum metal's X-ray reflectivity with other materials, supported by historical experimental insights.

Findings

Speculum metal shows high reflectivity in hard X-ray region at small grazing angles.

Theoretical calculations align with experimental data and simulations.

Speculum metal's reflectivity surpasses that of common high-density mirror materials.

Abstract

Experiments related to X-ray optics carried out by A. H. Compton and his collaborators during 1923-1927, led to the Nobel Prize winning discovery of Compton Effect. Based on the critical analyses of these experimental investigation results, we could infer a unique X-ray reflection property of speculum metal that provided us the evidence for its reflectivity in the hard X-ray region. In connection with this, we have studied in detail the theoretical X-ray reflectivity of speculum metal in comparison with variety of other mirror materials for different photon energies at various grazing angles of incidence. Theoretical calculations of grazing incidence X-ray reflectivity for these materials also verified well with other experimental data and computer simulations. We have also calculated the minimum and critical angle penetration depth of speculum metal with other mirror materials for different photon energies. Furthermore, the reflectivity of speculum metal in different regions of electromagnetic spectrum in association with its physical properties is discussed. The analytical results obtained from these studies indicated that the reflectivity of speculum metal in the X-ray region, especially in hard X-ray region at small grazing angles is higher than that for commonly used high density mirror materials.