Angle-resolved low-coherence interferometry (AR-LCI) is an advanced optical technique used to measure the thickness and other properties of thin films, surfaces, and layered structures with high spatial resolution. The method combines principles from low-coherence interferometry with angle-resolved detection, allowing for detailed analysis of materials at microscopic and nanoscale levels.
Astronomical spectroscopy is a technique used in astronomy to analyze the light emitted, absorbed, or scattered by objects in space, such as stars, galaxies, and nebulae. It involves breaking down this light into its constituent wavelengths, creating a spectrum that reveals a wealth of information about the source of the light. Key aspects of astronomical spectroscopy include: 1. **Spectra Types**: The resulting spectrum can be continuous, emission, or absorption spectra, each providing different insights.
The Birge–Sponer method is a technique used in molecular spectroscopy and quantum chemistry to determine the dissociation energy of diatomic molecules. The method relies on analyzing vibrational energy levels, particularly the transition energies between vibrational states of a molecule. ### Key Concepts of the Birge–Sponer Method: 1. **Vibrational Energy Levels**: Diatomic molecules exhibit quantized vibrational states that can be described by quantum mechanics.
Cold vapor atomic fluorescence spectroscopy (CVAFS) is an analytical technique used primarily for the detection and quantification of trace amounts of mercury and some other elements in various samples. The method is characterized by its high sensitivity and selectivity, making it especially useful in environmental, biological, and industrial analyses.
Collision-induced absorption (CIA) and collision-induced emission (CIE) are phenomena that occur when molecules interact with one another during collisions, leading to changes in their energy states. These processes are particularly relevant in the context of molecular gases and contribute to their spectral properties. Here's a breakdown of each concept: ### Collision-Induced Absorption (CIA) - **Definition**: CIA refers to the absorption of light (electromagnetic radiation) resulting from the interactions between colliding molecules.
Cross-polarization refers to a phenomenon in which electromagnetic waves (usually radio waves or light) are polarized in directions that are perpendicular to each other. This concept is commonly discussed in optics, telecommunications, and radar technology. ### Key Points about Cross-Polarization: 1. **Polarization Basics**: Polarization describes the orientation of the oscillations of electromagnetic waves.
Differential Dynamic Microscopy (DDM) is a quantitative imaging technique used primarily in the study of dynamic processes in biological and soft matter systems. It is particularly valuable for investigating the motion and dynamics of particles in complex environments like colloids, proteins, or cellular systems. The main principles of DDM involve capturing a series of images of a sample over time and analyzing the fluctuations in the intensity of the images to extract information about the movement of particles.
An electrostatic lens is a device used in electron optics to focus and control the trajectories of charged particles, like electrons, using electrostatic fields. The lens works on principles of electrostatics to manipulate the paths of charged particles, similar to how optical lenses direct light. ### Key Features: 1. **Principle of Operation**: Electrostatic lenses typically involve the application of electric fields generated by charged electrodes.
Ellipsometry is an optical technique used to measure the thickness and optical properties of thin films. It is based on the principle of polarized light and how its polarization state changes upon reflection from a sample surface. The technique is particularly sensitive to changes in film thickness, material composition, and refractive index, making it valuable in various fields, including materials science, semiconductor fabrication, and nanotechnology.
Dynamic light scattering (DLS) is a technique used to measure the size distribution of small particles, typically in the nanometer to micrometer range, in suspension or in a colloidal system. The fundamental principle behind DLS is the analysis of the fluctuations in the intensity of scattered light due to the Brownian motion of the particles. ### Key Concepts: 1. **Brownian Motion**: Particles in a liquid or gas are constantly in motion due to thermal energy.
Fluorescence Cross-Correlation Spectroscopy (FCCS) is a sophisticated optical technique used to study molecular interactions and dynamics at the single-molecule level. It combines principles from fluorescence spectroscopy and correlation methods to provide insights into the behavior of fluorescently labeled molecules in a solution. ### Key Concepts of FCCS: 1. **Fluorescence**: FCCS involves the use of fluorescent probes that emit light upon excitation. These probes can be attached to different molecules of interest.
Gas in the context of scattering media absorption spectroscopy refers to a state of matter in which particles, such as molecules or atoms, exist in a well-dispersed manner with relatively large spaces between them, allowing them to move freely. In spectroscopy, particularly absorption spectroscopy, gases can absorb specific wavelengths of light, leading to characteristic absorption spectra that can be used to identify and quantify the presence of certain substances.
Sorption is a physical and chemical process by which one substance becomes attached to another. It encompasses both adsorption and absorption: 1. **Adsorption**: This is the process where particles adhere to the surface of a solid or liquid. In this case, the molecules do not penetrate the bulk of the substance but instead form a layer on its surface. Common examples include the adherence of gas molecules to a solid surface, such as activated carbon adsorbing pollutants from air or water.
Belarusian biophysicists are scientists from Belarus who specialize in biophysics, a field that combines principles and methods from physics with biological systems. This interdisciplinary area of study focuses on understanding the physical principles underlying biological processes, including areas like molecular biology, genetics, and biochemistry. Research conducted by Belarusian biophysicists may involve studying the structures and functions of biomolecules, the mechanics of cells, or the interactions between biological systems and physical forces.
Matrix isolation is a powerful experimental technique used in chemistry and physics to study reactive species, such as free radicals, small molecules, and unstable compounds, in a controlled environment. The fundamental idea behind matrix isolation is to trap these species at very low temperatures (typically in the range of 10 to 20 K) within an inert solid matrix, such as rare gas (like argon or neon) or other inert solids.
The McCumber relation, named after Eric McCumber, is an important concept in the field of quantum optics and quantum information. It describes the relationship between the noise and the signal in quantum systems, particularly in the context of the measurement process. The relation is often used in discussions of quantum measurements and the trade-offs between the information gained and the disturbance caused by the measurement.
Belevitch's theorem is a result in the field of control theory and systems engineering, particularly related to the study of linear time-invariant (LTI) systems. The theorem provides a characterization of linear systems in terms of their input-output behavior, specifically concerning the transfer function representation of these systems.
Micro-spectrophotometry is an analytical technique used to measure the absorbance, transmittance, or reflectance of very small samples, often at the microscopic scale. This method utilizes the principles of UV-Vis (ultraviolet-visible) spectroscopy, allowing scientists to study the optical properties of materials or biological samples with minimal sample consumption.
The Nephelauxetic effect refers to the phenomenon where the presence of certain ligands in coordination complexes reduces the bond strength and the energy separation between the d-orbitals of a metal ion. This effect is commonly observed in transition metal complexes. Specifically, when a metal ion is coordinated to ligands, the electrostatic repulsion between the electron clouds of the ligands and the d-electrons of the metal is lessened.
Neutron spectroscopy is a technique used in condensed matter physics and materials science to study the dynamics and structure of materials at the atomic and molecular levels. It utilizes neutrons, which are neutral particles found in atomic nuclei, to probe the properties of various materials.

Pinned article: Introduction to the OurBigBook Project

Welcome to the OurBigBook Project! Our goal is to create the perfect publishing platform for STEM subjects, and get university-level students to write the best free STEM tutorials ever.
Everyone is welcome to create an account and play with the site: ourbigbook.com/go/register. We belive that students themselves can write amazing tutorials, but teachers are welcome too. You can write about anything you want, it doesn't have to be STEM or even educational. Silly test content is very welcome and you won't be penalized in any way. Just keep it legal!
We have two killer features:
  1. topics: topics group articles by different users with the same title, e.g. here is the topic for the "Fundamental Theorem of Calculus" ourbigbook.com/go/topic/fundamental-theorem-of-calculus
    Articles of different users are sorted by upvote within each article page. This feature is a bit like:
    • a Wikipedia where each user can have their own version of each article
    • a Q&A website like Stack Overflow, where multiple people can give their views on a given topic, and the best ones are sorted by upvote. Except you don't need to wait for someone to ask first, and any topic goes, no matter how narrow or broad
    This feature makes it possible for readers to find better explanations of any topic created by other writers. And it allows writers to create an explanation in a place that readers might actually find it.
    Figure 1.
    Screenshot of the "Derivative" topic page
    . View it live at: ourbigbook.com/go/topic/derivative
  2. local editing: you can store all your personal knowledge base content locally in a plaintext markup format that can be edited locally and published either:
    This way you can be sure that even if OurBigBook.com were to go down one day (which we have no plans to do as it is quite cheap to host!), your content will still be perfectly readable as a static site.
    Figure 2.
    You can publish local OurBigBook lightweight markup files to either https://OurBigBook.com or as a static website
    .
    Figure 3.
    Visual Studio Code extension installation
    .
    Figure 4.
    Visual Studio Code extension tree navigation
    .
    Figure 5.
    Web editor
    . You can also edit articles on the Web editor without installing anything locally.
    Video 3.
    Edit locally and publish demo
    . Source. This shows editing OurBigBook Markup and publishing it using the Visual Studio Code extension.
    Video 4.
    OurBigBook Visual Studio Code extension editing and navigation demo
    . Source.
  3. https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ourbigbook/ourbigbook-media/master/feature/x/hilbert-space-arrow.png
  4. Infinitely deep tables of contents:
    Figure 6.
    Dynamic article tree with infinitely deep table of contents
    .
    Descendant pages can also show up as toplevel e.g.: ourbigbook.com/cirosantilli/chordate-subclade
All our software is open source and hosted at: github.com/ourbigbook/ourbigbook
Further documentation can be found at: docs.ourbigbook.com
Feel free to reach our to us for any help or suggestions: docs.ourbigbook.com/#contact