Differential cross-sections for Compton scatterig of 0.279 MeV gamma rays fromK-shell electrons of lead are measured at scattering angles ranging from 30 to 150° to study the effect of binding on the scattering process. Measurements are made employing two Nal(Tl) scintillation spectrometers and a slow-fast coincidence set-up of 30 nsec resolving time. The experimental results are compared with the available theoretical data. The totalK-shell Compton scattering cross-section is 34% of the free electron Compton cross-section.

An inverse response matrix converts the observed pulse-height distribution of a NaI(Tl) scintillation detector to a true photon spectrum. This also results in extraction of intensity and energy distributions of multiply scattered events originating from interactions of 279 keV photons with thick targets of bronze. The observed pulse-height distributions are a composite of singly and multiply scattered events in addition to bremmstrahlung originating from slowing down of Compton and photo-electrons in thick targets. To evaluate the contribution of multiply scattered events, the spectrum of singly scattered events contributing to inelastic Compton peak is reconstructed analytically. The optimum thickness (saturation depth), at which the number of multiply scattered events saturate, has been evaluated in different energy bin meshes chosen for scintillation detector response unfolding. Monte Carlo calculations based upon the package developed by Bauer and Pattison (Compton scattering experiments at the HMI (1981), HMI-B 364, pp. 1-106) supports the present experimental results.