Measuring Atmospheric Gases
INESC Porto?s Optoelectronics and Electronic System Unit (Porto, Portugal) in partnership with the European Space Agency, has developed a technology that enables a more effective measurement of gases in the atmosphere than that achieved with current techniques (such as atmospheric balloons and specially equipped airplanes).
INESC Porto’s Optoelectronics and Electronic System Unit (Porto, Portugal) in partnership with the European Space Agency, has developed a technology that enables a more effective measurement of gases in the atmosphere than that achieved with current techniques (such as atmospheric balloons and specially equipped airplanes). The system consists of an ultra-narrow spectral tunable and heat-reflecting filter based on optical fiber technology that can be used to monitor the atmosphere with the reflection of laser impulses. If it is applied to satellites, this filter will be able to detect pollutant gases in the Earth’s atmosphere in concentrations less than 1 km high and 50 km wide, at an altitude of 400 km. This technology is capable of providing precise measurements of several greenhouse gases including carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone.
Improving Fluorescence and Raman Techniques for Environmental Microplastic Analysis
March 31st 2025A recent study conducted at the LaserLaB Amsterdam and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (the Netherlands) explored spectroscopic imaging techniques, including Raman and fluorescence microscopy, for characterizing microplastics (MPs), focusing on optimizing sample preparation, particularly density separation, and Nile Red staining.Spectroscopy spoke to Merel Konings, corresponding author of the paper resulting from the study, about her work
New Study Provides Insights into Chiral Smectic Phases
March 31st 2025Researchers from the Institute of Nuclear Physics Polish Academy of Sciences have unveiled new insights into the molecular arrangement of the 7HH6 compound’s smectic phases using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and infrared (IR) spectroscopy.
