Secondary scattering in compton profile measurements

Calculations of secondary Compton scattering spectra are presented for 60 keV photons scattered at 180°. The presence of secondary scattering modifies measured spectra in such a way that apparent high-momentum tails are added to the valence profiles, and the heights of the normalized profiles are reduced. The Compton profile of Be has been measured using 60 keV photons and a small sample from which secondary scattering is negligible. Comparison of the results to those of X-ray diffractometer measurements [1, 2] points out secondary scattering effects present in the latter. The valence profiles have high-momentum tails, and the profiles are asymmetric with higher values on the low-energy side of the profiles. These effects are probably present in many reported profiles of low atomic number samples.