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> If electrons scatter photons, then photons scatter electrons. Does it mean that photons are able to scatter photons?
by jerry40 9y ago
> If electrons scatter photons, then photons scatter electrons.
Does it mean that photons are able to scatter photons?
- danbruc 9y agoPhoton photon scattering is a thing [1] but I am not sure whether that is implied by the interaction of light and electrical charged particles acting both ways. I slightly tend to think that is not implied but I am not a physicist. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two-photon_physics https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two-photon_physics
- jerry40 9y agoInteresting! Thanks
- pif 9y agoYes, they are. They cannot interact directly, but they can via "virtual" electron/positron pairs (or actually any other pair of charged elementary particle + antiparticle).
- ISL 9y agoTo expand a little -- the process is known as light-by-light scattering. Searching will turn up plenty of good references, like this one: https://home.cern/about/updates/2017/08/atlas-observes-direct-evidence-light-light-scattering https://home.cern/about/updates/2017/08/atlas-observes-direc...