Tag Archives: Spectroscopy

The Sounds of Atoms

Posted on January 9, 2023 by rberkowitz

Transforming the spectral lines of each element into a musical tone provides a fun tool for teasing out patterns in the electronic structures of atoms. Continue reading →

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Webb Telescope Searches for Exoplanet Atmospheres

Posted on October 4, 2022 by rberkowitz

The recent detection of CO2 around a distant Jupiter-like planet spurs
optimism for detecting atmospheric gases around Earth-like planets
orbiting faraway stars. Continue reading →

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Early JWST targets set the stage for the next decade of observations

Posted on June 8, 2022 by rberkowitz

Data gathered by the telescope in its first five months of science will show what it’s capable of while enabling insight into ancient galaxies, newborn planets, and more. Continue reading →

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A Quick Way to Measure Isotope Ratios

Posted on May 6, 2022 by rberkowitz

A new laser-based method allows scientists to detect the isotope concentration of different chemicals in a gas in a short time. Continue reading →

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Drones Could Spot Crime Scenes from Afar

Posted on April 21, 2022 by rberkowitz

A system could aid forensic searches and crime-scene mapping by detecting reflections from human materials. Continue reading →

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Nobel Prize in Physics honors the discovery of a supermassive compact object at the heart of the Milky Way

Posted on December 1, 2020 by rberkowitz

By tracking the orbits of stars close to the galactic center, Reinhard Genzel and Andrea Ghez ruled out all possibilities besides a black hole. Continue reading →

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Phosphine detection highlights unknowns of Venus’s atmosphere

Posted on October 2, 2020 by rberkowitz

Modeling, lab work, and perhaps a mission to the planet will be required to understand the chemical reactions that take place within Venus’s hot, dense, oxidizing cloud layers. Read more in Physics Today…

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Food residues help date ancient pottery

Posted on May 6, 2020 by rberkowitz

Radiocarbon dating of carefully extracted fatty-acid compounds could become a robust archaeological tool. Continue reading →

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Mapping the Remains of Supernovae

Posted on December 18, 2019 by rberkowitz

A new tool provides detailed, 3-D chemical view of exploded star systems. Continue reading →

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Iron-rich object closely orbits a white dwarf

Posted on June 2, 2019 by rberkowitz

The newly discovered object could be the core of a planet that survived the transition of its host star into a red giant. Continue reading →

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