A new versatile spectroscopy system could create ultraprecise maps of Earth’s atmosphere, detect methane emission sources, and scan for chemical weapons.
spectroscopy
Posted inResearch Spotlights
New Technique Could Help Scientists Track Nitrous Oxide Sources
A long-term study in Switzerland reveals the promise of a new method to determine isotopic composition of the potent greenhouse gas.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Mysterious Particle Beams Found over Jupiter’s Poles
The unexpected character of the beams, revealed by NASA’s Juno spacecraft, suggests that the processes that produce Jupiter’s auroras are unlike those on Earth.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Lab Tests Probe Carbon Planets’ Inner Dynamics
Thermal convection in deep interiors could be more vigorous in carbide planets than in comparably sized silicate planets, according to new high-pressure measurements of silicon carbide.
Posted inNews
Gerald J. Wasserburg (1927–2016)
A leading geochemist who became well known for creating the first high-precision mass spectrometer, called Lunatic I, that measured isotope ratios in lunar samples from the Apollo missions.
Posted inNews
Surveying Alaskan Minerals from Afar
By using hyperspectral imaging, researchers test their ability to find copper in remote areas.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Curiosity Sends Curious Water Data from Mars
The rover's neutron spectroscopy instrument hints at an unexpected trend: The upper soil levels in the layers of Gale Crater's Kimberley formation seem to hold more water-associated hydrogen.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Demystifying Mercury "Hollows"
Spectral data from NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft indicate that the properties of the depressions on Mercury's surface can vary within a single crater and that these differences may correlate to age.
Posted inNews
Charles A. Barth, 1930–2014
Long-time director of the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics conducted pioneering studies of the atmospheres of Earth and other planets using ultraviolet spectroscopy.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
How Powerful Is Jupiter's Aurora?
Scientists have mapped Jupiter's spectacular aurora in unprecedented detail with the Hubble Space Telescope.