Compton scattering experiments with monochromatic W Kα₁ radiation

Construction and performance of a spectrometer based on a high-voltage generator and W-anode X-ray tube are described. W Kα₁ radiation is monochromated using a bent Ge (400) crystal. The obtained monochromatic flux is 10⁷ photons s⁻¹ and the beam size at the focal point 15 × 0.5 mm. Comparison is made with a ²⁴¹Am γ-ray source, which has an almost equal photon energy. The W Kα₁ beam does not exhibit the low-energy tail typical for the γ-ray source but, on the other hand, a small contribution of doublet energy was observed. Directional Compton profiles of pyrolytic graphite were measured with both sources and essentially the same features were found.