For sufficiently short wavelengths, quantum effects of electron recoil and shot noise may have to be considered.

This technique allows nuclear recoils events to be distinguished from electron recoil events.

Closely related to the atomic recoil is the electron recoil, (see photoexcitation and photoionization).

So at the rate of about one a day, we see these interactions and test to see if they are consistent with a nuclear recoil or an electron recoil.

In an 85 live-day run with 118 kg fiducial volume, LUX obtained 160 events passing the data analysis selection criteria, all consistent with electron recoil backgrounds.

Therefore the second phase of CRESST and EDELWEISS used new detectors capable of distinguishing electron recoil events from nuclear recoils.

This allows background events to be rejected as nuclear recoils events (produced by WIMP or neutron interactions) produce much less ionization than electron recoil events (produced by alpha, beta and gamma radiation).

The magic performed by Conch Shell and Painted Stick consisted of focusing their own force fields to raise ever so slightly the velocity of the others electron recoil, to widen by a fraction of a degree the scattering angles of their photons.