Spectroscopy
hideSpectroscopy was originally the study of the interaction between radiation and matter as a function of wavelength (λ). In fact, historically, spectroscopy referred to the use of visible light dispersed according to its wavelength, e.g. by a prism. Later the concept was expanded greatly to comprise any measurement of a quantity as function of either wavelength or frequency. Thus it also can refer to a response to an alternating field or varying frequency (ν). A further extension of the scope of the definition added energy (E) as a variable, once the very close relationship E = hν for photons was realized (h is the Planck constant). A plot of the response as a function of wavelength—or more commonly frequency—is referred to as a spectrum; see also spectral linewidth.
Spectrometry is the spectroscopic technique used to assess the concentration or amount of a given species. In those cases, the instrument that performs such measurements is a spectrometer or spectrograph.
Spectroscopy/spectrometry is often used in physical and analytical chemistry for the identification of substances through the spectrum emitted from or absorbed by them.
Spectroscopy/spectrometry is also heavily used in astronomy and remote sensing. Most large telescopes have spectrometers, which are used either to measure the chemical composition and physical properties of astronomical objects or to measure their velocities from the Doppler shift of their spectral lines.
For more information about Spectroscopy, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
News tagged with spectroscopy
New hydrogen-storage method discovered
Nov 22, 2009 |
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Scientists at the Carnegie Institution have found for the first time that high pressure can be used to make a unique hydrogen-storage material. The discovery paves the way for an entirely new way to approach ...
'Holy powder' ingredient makes membranes behave for better health
Chemistry / Analytical Chemistry
Mar 06, 2009 |
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Revered in India as "holy powder," the marigold-colored spice known as turmeric has been used for centuries to treat wounds, infections and other health problems. In recent years, research into the healing powers of turmeric's ...
Hydrogen-making algae's 'Achilles' heel' discovered
Sep 29, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists have discovered how oxygen stops green algae from producing hydrogen. The findings could help those working towards 'solar H2-farms' in which microorganisms produce hydrogen fuel ...
The pseudogap persists as material superconducts
Jan 27, 2009 |
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For nearly a century, scientists have been trying to unravel the many mysteries of superconductivity, where materials conduct electricity with zero resistance.
Nanotechnology gets a new light touch
Oct 02, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Building the super-fast computers of the future has just become much easier thanks to an advance by Australian researchers that lets them grab hold of tiny electronics components and probe ...
Chemical energy influences tiny vibrations of red blood cell membranes
Dec 21, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Much like a tightly wound drum, red blood cells are in perpetual vibration. Those vibrations help the cells maintain their characteristic flattened oval or disc shape, which is critical to ...
A new X-ray spectroscopic tool for probing the interstellar medium
Mar 31, 2009 |
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Astronomy & Astrophysics is publishing the first clear detection of signatures long sought in the spectra of X-ray astronomical sources. These signatures, the so-called EXAFS standing for "Extended X-ray ...
Breaking Down the Barrier for Smaller, Faster Electronic Devices
Oct 05, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- A team of international researchers is the first to uncover the chemical composition and structure of a microelectronics element that is vital to producing ever smaller - and, thus, cheaper ...
Terahertz Waves Are Effective Probes for IC Heat Barriers
May 06, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- By modifying a commonly used commercial infrared spectrometer to allow operation at long-wave terahertz frequencies, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology discovered ...
Gooda, Gouda! Solving the 800-year-old secret of a big cheese
Mar 04, 2009 |
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Almost 800 years after farmers in the village of Gouda in Holland first brought a creamy new cheese to market, scientists in Germany say they have cracked the secret of Gouda’s good taste. They have identified the key protein ...
Scientists determine 3D structure of proteins in living cells for the first time
Mar 05, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- A University of Glasgow scientist was part of a team of researchers which has, for the first time, been able to determine the three-dimensional structure of protein in living cells.
Creating the astro-comb to locate Earth-like planets
May 07, 2009 |
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Researchers at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Mass. have created an "astro-comb" to help astronomers detect lighter planets, more like Earth, around distant stars. The Harvard group will present ...
New Twist on Favorite X-ray Technique Promises Ultrafast Molecular Studies
Oct 12, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- A team of physicists from the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, including graduate student David Bernstein, have made a promising discovery that a well-known synchrotron technique ...
Scientists to go where no chemists has gone before
Sep 28, 2009 |
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Scientists at The University of Nottingham have overcome one of the significant research challenges facing electrochemists. For the first time they have found a way of probing right into the heart of an electrochemical reaction.
While you were sleeping: Sleep apnea's effect on the brain may be more severe than previously thought
Jun 03, 2009 |
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It has been linked to learning impairment, stroke and premature death. Now research from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) has found that snoring associated with sleep apnoea may impair brain function more than previously ...
