Research Topic · Peer-Reviewed

Inelastic Scattering

Inelastic scattering is a process in which a particle, such as a photon, electron, or neutron, collides with a molecule, atom, or material and exchanges energy with it, so that the scattered particle leaves with a different energy than it had before the collision. Unlike elastic scattering, in which kinetic energy i…

Curated from this journal's research 📚 2 peer-reviewed articles cited Cited 97× across the literature 🔖 ISSN 2377-2549 🗓 Reviewed July 2026

Overview

Inelastic scattering is a process in which a particle, such as a photon, electron, or neutron, collides with a molecule, atom, or material and exchanges energy with it, so that the scattered particle leaves with a different energy than it had before the collision. Unlike elastic scattering, in which kinetic energy is conserved, inelastic scattering transfers part of the energy into internal motions such as molecular vibrations, rotations, or electronic transitions. This energy exchange makes inelastic scattering a powerful probe of the structure, bonding, and dynamics of matter, and it underlies analytical techniques used widely in chemistry, including Raman spectroscopy, which relies on the inelastic scattering of light to reveal characteristic molecular vibrations, as well as inelastic neutron and electron scattering methods. By interpreting the energy shifts of scattered particles, researchers can identify chemical species, study material properties, and investigate reaction mechanisms. As a topic within New Developments in Chemistry, inelastic scattering connects fundamental physical principles to the practical characterization of chemical systems and materials. The journal publishes research across emerging areas of chemistry, including analytical and spectroscopic methods used to study the composition and behavior of substances. This page gathers peer-reviewed, open-access research relevant to the chemical sciences and the methods used to probe the structure and properties of matter.

Research published in this journal

2 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.

How this research is being cited

The 2 articles above have been cited 97 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.

A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Inelastic Scattering, linking to each citing work.

Editorial oversight

Curated from peer-reviewed research published in New Developments in Chemistry (ISSN 2377-2549).

Journal editorial board
Annarita Del Gatto · Italy Bharat Gurale · United States Palani ELUMALAI · United Kingdom

This page summarises published research for orientation; it is not medical or professional advice.