spectroskopischen

Spectroscopic methods, or spectroscopy, study the interaction of electromagnetic radiation with matter to obtain qualitative and quantitative information about a sample. The term spectroscopic describes techniques that resolve light into its component wavelengths and analyze the resulting spectrum. The underlying principle is that atoms and molecules have discrete energy levels; transitions between these levels produce characteristic absorption or emission features.

Common modalities include absorption spectroscopy (UV–visible, infrared), emission spectroscopy (atomic emission, flame or plasma sources), fluorescence spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Each method provides different kinds of information: UV–Vis yields electronic transitions and concentration estimates; infrared reveals vibrational modes; Raman provides vibrational fingerprints; NMR yields detailed molecular structure and dynamics. Astronomy, chemistry, materials science, and biology rely on spectroscopic data to identify substances, determine concentrations, and infer physical properties.

Historically, spectroscopy emerged from the observation of Fraunhofer lines in the solar spectrum and was formalized by Kirchhoff and Bunsen in the mid-19th century. Technological advances—gratings, prisms, light sources, and detectors—led to modern spectrometers and spectrographs capable of high-resolution measurements across broad wavelength ranges.

An instrumentation typical setup includes a light source, a sample holder, a dispersive element (prism or diffraction grating), and a detector (such as a photomultiplier tube or a CCD) with accompanying data-processing software. Applications span analytical chemistry, environmental monitoring, materials science, astronomy, and biomedicine. Limitations can include spectral overlap, calibration demands, and matrix effects, which require careful experimental design.