Compton Currents - Historical Aspects and Recollections

Theory and practice of current and space charge generation in solid dielectrics under photon irradiation have found their place in modern radiation physics. But the first attempts to bring these effects to the attention of specialists met with skepticism. This article describes early stages in the development of Compton Current research. It discusses the relation between photon flux density and Compton current intensity, the relation between the Compton current produced in a scatterer and the external current observed in an electrical circuit incorporating the scatterer, the production of space charge, and the use of Compton currents for radiation dosimetry.