Editing Compton scattering (section)

=== Inverse Compton scattering ===
Inverse Compton scattering is important in [[astrophysics]]. In [[X-ray astronomy]], the [[accretion disk]] surrounding a [[black hole]] is presumed to produce a thermal spectrum. The lower energy photons produced from this spectrum are scattered to higher energies by relativistic electrons in the surrounding [[stellar corona|corona]]. This is surmised to cause the power law component in the X-ray spectra (0.2–10&nbsp;keV) of accreting black holes.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Dr. Tortosa |first1=Alessia |title=Comptonization mechanisms in hot coronae in AGN. The NuSTAR view |url=http://www.matfis.uniroma3.it/Allegati/Dottorato/TESI/tortosa/tesi_PhD_Tortosa_Alessia.pdf |publisher=DIPARTIMENTO DI MATEMATICA E FISICA}}</ref>

The effect is also observed when photons from the [[Cosmic microwave background radiation|cosmic microwave background]] (CMB) move through the hot gas surrounding a [[galaxy cluster]].  The CMB photons are scattered to higher energies by the electrons in this gas, resulting in the [[Sunyaev–Zel'dovich effect]]. Observations of the Sunyaev–Zel'dovich effect provide a nearly redshift-independent means of detecting galaxy clusters.

Some synchrotron radiation facilities scatter laser light off the stored electron beam.
This Compton backscattering produces high energy photons in the MeV to GeV range<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lnf.infn.it/~levisand/graal/graal.html |title=GRAAL home page |publisher=Lnf.infn.it |access-date=2011-11-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://tunl.duke.edu/research/our-facilities | title=Duke University TUNL HIGS Facility | access-date=2021-01-31}}</ref> subsequently used for nuclear physics experiments.