I am aware of Compton Scattering and Line Spectra, but for some reason I can't reconcile the two.
Here is my reasoning. The theory I have learned behind spectral lines is that a atoms electrons can only absorb energy in with specific energies, i.e., specific wavelengths. The rest are transmitted and we are left with Fraunhofer lines.
Compton scattering seems to imply that an atom can absorb any frequency of energy, with a part of the energy raising the electron to a higher orbital and rest being converted to kinetic energy.
Or does Compton scattering only apply to free electrons, and a photon can increase the kinetic energy of the electron while reducing its own energy.
Can a photon, in general, increase an atoms kinetic energy?