On the Track of Carmem A Busko Modern

On the Track of Carmem A. Busko Modern Physics Carmem A. Busko Look! how blue can be different! All difficult words come from Greek. All, but “spectrum”. First used by Cicerone, in Italian means spettro (=ghost), simulacro (= figure or sculpture). Spectroscopy deals with images: a colourful rainbow, a sunset or just the cloudy sky. In other words: spectrum is a ghost and Spectroscopy - a science on ghosts. And then, also red is different! Spectrum is an image, something produced by the object, like the reflected or emitted light. Then You need an analyser, to show single components. This can be a prism, a diffraction grate, but also a snow crystal or a CD-cover. Reflection from snow does not produce colors, but reflection inside ice crystals does. Reflection in azzure on borders of the gold-doped, red ash-tray come from Mie scattering, like in the sky. Look carefully or snap shots: spectra are everywhere. This is Red See. Separating colors can be done by refraction, like here, diffraction, like to the right, or scattering. Separated colours, like in a CD form a spectrum. In the left image no dark blue is present, in the right image no yellow but a lot of red. One is of so-called energetic lamp, one of the morning sky. Can You guess which is which? CD-cover “produces” colors, but usually reflecting polarized light, i. e. from blue sky. Unless, the polymer is strongly oriented, like here. Colors in CD-cover are complementary, obtained by subtraction of red, blue or green from white. CH 3 CO-OC 2 H 5 CH 3 COOH CH 3 CHO 105 CH 3 CO-OCH 3 cps 106 CH 3 OH 107 CH 3 -CO-CH 3 C 2 H 5 OH 108 104 103 102 10 40 60 m/e 80 100 So, separating features of an object is to make a spectrum. This can be the mass of positive ions in strawberries smell, the energy of photons from an annihilating antimatter, faint hints in the energy dependence for muon production or infrared absorption by silicon. All these, we call spectra. And all are so beautiful for scientists, as a purple morning sky. Hoping, also for You! Three upper sky photos are by Carmen Busko, Sao Paolo, Brazil, thanks! http: //www. trekearth. com/gallery/South_America/Brazil/photo 89543. htm Remaining photos are by GK. 1/1