Mössbauer spectroscopy (Mößbauer) is a spectroscopic technique based on the Mössbauer effect. In its most common form, Mössbauer Absorption Spectroscopy, a solid sample is exposed to a beam of gamma radiation, and a detector measures the intensity of the beam that is transmitted through the sample, which will change depending on how many gamma rays are absorbed by the sample. The atoms in the source emitting the gamma rays are the same as the atoms in the sample absorbing them. As can be explained through the Mössbauer effect, a significant fraction of the gamma rays emitted by the atoms in the source do not lose any energy due to recoil and thus have almost the right energy to be absorbed by the target atoms. The gamma-ray energy is varied by accelerating the gamma-ray source through a range of velocities with a linear motor. The relative motion between the source and sample results in an energy shift due to the Doppler effect.

In the resulting spectra, gamma-ray intensity is plotted as a function of the source velocity. At velocities corresponding to the resonant energy levels of the sample, some of the gamma-rays are absorbed, resulting in a drop in the measured intensity and a corresponding dip in the spectrum. The number, positions, and intensities of the dips (also called peaks) provide information about the chemical environment of the absorbing nuclei and can be used to characterize the sample.

In order for Mössbauer absorption of gamma-rays to occur, the gamma-ray must be of the appropriate energy for the nuclear transitions of the atoms being probed, which is almost always achieved by having the same atoms of the same isotope in both the source and the target. Also, the gamma-ray energy should be relatively low, otherwise the system will have a low recoil-free fraction (see Mössbauer effect) resulting in a poor signal-to-noise ratio. Only a handful of elemental isotopes exist for which these criteria are met, so Mössbauer spectroscopy can only be applied to a relatively small group of atoms including: ⁵⁷Fe, ¹²⁹I, ¹¹⁹Sn, and ¹²¹Sb. Of these, ⁵⁷Fe is by far the most common element studied using the technique.

Mössbauer spectrometers

A Mössbauer spectrometer is a device that performs Mössbauer spectroscopy, or a device that uses the Mössbauer effect to determine the chemical environment of a sample. Dr. Göstar Klingelhöfer at the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany, developed a miniature Mössbauer Spectrometer, named (MB) MIMOS II, that was used by the two rovers in NASA's Mars Exploration Rover mission.

Notes

The Mössbauer parameters chemical isomer shift and quadrupole splitting are generally evaluated with respect to a reference material. For e.g., in iron compounds, the Mössbauer parameters were evaluated using iron foil (thickness lessar than 40 micrometer). The centroid of the six lines spectrum from metallic iron foil is -0.1 mm/s (for Co in Rh source). All shift in other iron compounds are computer relative to this -0.10 mm/s (at RT). It is also allowed to report the shift values relative to 0.0 mm/s. The distance between the outer lines is 10.625 mm/s at RT (assuming 33 T as internal magnetic field in metallic iron). Calculation of outerline distance form six line iron spectrum: Distance, v=299792458*33*3.1524512326e-8(3ge+gg)/14.4125=10.6257738 mm/s. Where ge=0.1549/1.5 and gg=0.09062/0.5.

References

• Morris RV, Klingelhofer G, Schroder C (2006). "Mossbauer mineralogy of rock, soil, and dust at Meridiani Planum, Mars: Opportunity's journey across sulfate-rich outcrop, basaltic sand and dust, and hematite lag deposits". Journal of the Geophysical Research-Planets 111 (E12): E12S15.

External links

• Mössbauer Effect Data Center page, including periodic table of Mössbauer isotopes
• Introduction to Mössbauer Spectroscopy — RSC site
• Mössbauer Spectroscopy: A Powerful Tool in Scientific Research

Further reading

• C. D. Spencer (1972). Mössbauer Study of Co₄O₄ and Other Spinels. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Ph. D Thesis). UMI# 73-16518.

Mössbauer spectroscopy (Mößbauer) is a spectroscopic technique based on the Mössbauer effect. In its most common form, Mössbauer Absorption Spectroscopy, a solid sample is exposed to a beam of gamma radiation, and a detector measures the intensity of the beam that is transmitted through the sample, which will change depending on how many gamma rays are absorbed by the sample. The atoms in the source emitting the gamma rays are the same as the atoms in the sample absorbing them. As can be explained through the Mössbauer effect, a significant fraction of the gamma rays emitted by the atoms in the source do not lose any energy due to recoil and thus have almost the right energy to be absorbed by the target atoms. The gamma-ray energy is varied by accelerating the gamma-ray source through a range of velocities with a linear motor. The relative motion between the source and sample results in an energy shift due to the Doppler effect.

In the resulting spectra, gamma-ray intensity is plotted as a function of the source velocity. At velocities corresponding to the resonant energy levels of the sample, some of the gamma-rays are absorbed, resulting in a drop in the measured intensity and a corresponding dip in the spectrum. The number, positions, and intensities of the dips (also called peaks) provide information about the chemical environment of the absorbing nuclei and can be used to characterize the sample.

In order for Mössbauer absorption of gamma-rays to occur, the gamma-ray must be of the appropriate energy for the nuclear transitions of the atoms being probed, which is almost always achieved by having the same atoms of the same isotope in both the source and the target. Also, the gamma-ray energy should be relatively low, otherwise the system will have a low recoil-free fraction (see Mössbauer effect) resulting in a poor signal-to-noise ratio. Only a handful of elemental isotopes exist for which these criteria are met, so Mössbauer spectroscopy can only be applied to a relatively small group of atoms including: ⁵⁷Fe, ¹²⁹I, ¹¹⁹Sn, and ¹²¹Sb. Of these, ⁵⁷Fe is by far the most common element studied using the technique.

Mössbauer spectrometers

A Mössbauer spectrometer is a device that performs Mössbauer spectroscopy, or a device that uses the Mössbauer effect to determine the chemical environment of a sample. Dr. Göstar Klingelhöfer at the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany, developed a miniature Mössbauer Spectrometer, named (MB) MIMOS II, that was used by the two rovers in NASA's Mars Exploration Rover mission.

Notes

The Mössbauer parameters chemical isomer shift and quadrupole splitting are generally evaluated with respect to a reference material. For e.g., in iron compounds, the Mössbauer parameters were evaluated using iron foil (thickness lessar than 40 micrometer). The centroid of the six lines spectrum from metallic iron foil is -0.1 mm/s (for Co in Rh source). All shift in other iron compounds are computer relative to this -0.10 mm/s (at RT). It is also allowed to report the shift values relative to 0.0 mm/s. The distance between the outer lines is 10.625 mm/s at RT (assuming 33 T as internal magnetic field in metallic iron). Calculation of outerline distance form six line iron spectrum: Distance, v=299792458*33*3.1524512326e-8(3ge+gg)/14.4125=10.6257738 mm/s. Where ge=0.1549/1.5 and gg=0.09062/0.5.

References

• Morris RV, Klingelhofer G, Schroder C (2006). "Mossbauer mineralogy of rock, soil, and dust at Meridiani Planum, Mars: Opportunity's journey across sulfate-rich outcrop, basaltic sand and dust, and hematite lag deposits". Journal of the Geophysical Research-Planets 111 (E12): E12S15.

External links

• Mössbauer Effect Data Center page, including periodic table of Mössbauer isotopes
• Introduction to Mössbauer Spectroscopy — RSC site
• Mössbauer Spectroscopy: A Powerful Tool in Scientific Research

Further reading

• C. D. Spencer (1972). Mössbauer Study of Co₄O₄ and Other Spinels. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Ph. D Thesis). UMI# 73-16518.