Definition
When an electron in a substance is excited to a higher energy state by a photon, it may return to the lower energy state via series of two or more intermediate energy states, assuming they exist. The photons which are reemitted have a lower energy than the exciting photon and are consequently of a lower frequency and longer wavelength. This phenomenon is known as fluorescence. In some instances, two electrons may be adsorbed, allowing for emission of radiation of a shorter wavelength. As in UV spectroscopy, compounds often have unique fluorescence spectra which can be used in determining structure. Fluorescence detectors are extremely sensitive, thus this is an excellent analytical technique for trace amounts of substances. The infrared emission bands assigned to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons(PAHs) in a variety of astronomical environments have been attributed to fluorescence, with the exciting...
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© 2011 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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Cleaves, H.J. (2011). Fluorescence. In: Gargaud, M., et al. Encyclopedia of Astrobiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-11274-4_580
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-11274-4_580
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
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