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Mössbauer effect
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Recoilless gamma resonance gives ultra precise spectroscopy.
Gamma emission and absorption in a solid lattice can occur without recoil, producing extremely narrow lines (Δf/f ~ 10⁻¹³). Used to test gravitational redshift.
Iron-57 14.4 keV.
Pound–Rebka experiment.
In more detail
The Mössbauer effect is the recoil-free emission and absorption of gamma rays by nuclei bound in a solid. It gives extremely sharp spectral lines, which are used for precise measurements.
Real-world uses
- Mössbauer spectroscopy studies iron compounds and magnetic materials.
- It was used to test gravitational redshift in experiments.
- Physicists use the Mössbauer effect to measure very small energy shifts in nuclei, which reveal chemical environments.
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Frequently asked questions
Why is there no recoil?
The whole crystal absorbs the momentum, so the nucleus does not recoil.
Who discovered it?
Rudolf Mössbauer, who won the Nobel Prize in 1961.
Why is it called recoilless?
The emitting nucleus is bound in a crystal, so the recoil is shared by the whole solid and is effectively zero.
Related topics in Atomic & Nuclear Physics
Liquid drop model · Nuclear spin and magnetic moment · Nuclear magnetic resonance · Nuclear waste · Hydrogen-like ions · Positronium