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Careers What is a spectroscopist?
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What is a spectroscopist?
A Spectroscopist is someone who performs Spectroscopy with a Spectrometer.
Spectroscopy is the measurement of the response of matter as it interacts with energy in the form of waves of electromagnetic radiation. This electromagnetic radiation includes Gamma Rays, X-Rays, visible light and infra-red light. There are a very wide range of applications, including medical imaging with Computed Tomography (CAT) and Magnetic Resonance (MRI) scans, astronomy (e.g. the Hubble Telescope) and weather monitoring.
A spectrometer is an instrument that measures properties of electromagnetic radiation over a portion of its spectrum. The measured variable may be the light intensity at different frequencies, or its polarization state. The variable is often the wavelength of radiation, usually expressed as some fraction of a meter, or a unit proportional to the photon energy, such as wavenumber or electron volts.
Spectroscopy is often used to analyze the chemistry of substances remotely i.e. done from a distance without destroying or changing the substance. This can be done at close range, such as in laboratory equipment, or from a great distance, as in astronomy, where spectroscopy can help to identify the chemical make-up of distant stars.
Remote sensing imaging spectroscopy can be done from aircraft or satellites to detecting the chemical “signatures” of materials on Earth. Applications include mapping for land development and hydrocarbon exploration, for which clues can be detected such as oil seeps and temperature anomalies on the land surface.
Spectroscopy is also used to measure chemistry inside a borehole during the exploration of oil and gas. For example, the ECS Elemental Capture Spectroscopy sonde from Schlumberger can measure silicon (Si), iron (Fe), calcium (Ca), sulfur (S), chlorine (Cl) and several other elements around the borehole in rock formations deep underground.
Spectroscopy was also important in the The Discovery of Fullerenes, described on the SEED web site.
See also
- ”Spectroscopy” at Wikepedia
- The Science of Spectroscopy
- The Society for Applied Spectroscopy |
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