Overview

Understanding the nature of light is a fundamental question that has troubled mankind since antiquity. It took a great deal of speculation and study concerning the formation of the rainbow to formulate the right hypotheses to explain the iridescence observed when white light passes through raindrops or pieces of glass. For a long time, ancient philosophers were far more interested in the propagation of the light than in its nature. A History of Spectroscopy retraces the major stages in the growth of the various spectroscopic methods from their origins, as well as the most recent advances and the hopes they raise for future technological progress. With its multidisciplinary aspects, it embodies a masterly and unique effort which has no equivalent in the published literature. The present contribution will be read with profit not only by students embarking on a career in physics in general and in spectroscopy or astrophysics more specifically, but also by students in many other related fields like chemistry, biology, medicine, pharmacy and engineering. Key Features: The most extensive and detailed book on the history of spectroscopy. Covers a period of several centuries extending from Newton up to the present day. Discusses recent progress in different fields and subfields of physics and more specifically in the domain of the analysis of the light.

Full Product Details

Author:   Emile Biémont
Publisher:   Taylor & Francis Ltd
Imprint:   CRC Press
Weight:   1.510kg
ISBN:  

9781041108504

ISBN 10:   1041108508
Pages:   706
Publication Date:   27 November 2025
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Tertiary & Higher Education
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Not yet available  
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Table of Contents

Section I From Rainbow Colors to Laser Light Chapter 1 Units and Conversion Factors Chapter 2 The Precursors of Spectroscopy Chapter 3 The Contributions of the Master of Woolsthorpe Chapter 4 The First Spectroscopists and the Birth of Spectral Analysis Chapter 5 Prisms and Diffraction Gratings 65 Chapter 6 Interferometers and Fourier Transform Spectroscopy Chapter 7 Spectral Lines and Series Chapter 8 The Beginnings of Molecular Spectroscopy Chapter 9 The Sun, the Stars and their Spectra Chapter 10 W. Huggins and the Pioneers of Celestial Spectroscopy Chapter 11 Laser Spectroscopy Section II From Laser Light to Synchrotron Radiation Chapter 12 Beyond the Visible: the Long Wavelengths Chapter 13 Microwave Spectroscopy Chapter 14 Astronomical Spectroscopy in the Infrared Chapter 15 Rontgen and X-ray Spectroscopy Chapter 16 The Spectrometry of -Rays Chapter 17 Raman Scattering and Spectroscopy Chapter 18 Structure of the Atom and Zeeman Effect Chapter 19 Photoelectron Spectroscopy Chapter 20 Spectroscopy and the Stark Effect Chapter 21 The Hyperfine Structure of Spectral Lines Chapter 22 Light Sources and Emissions in the UV 647 Chapter 23 Retrospective and perspectives Appendix A: Main abbreviations used in spectroscopy and appearing in this work 685 Appendix B: Life dates of key scientists mentioned in this work 691 Index of Subjects Index

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Author Information

Emile Biémont is Honorary Research Director of the Belgian FNRS, Honorary professor of the University of Mons (Belgium) and Emeritus Member of the Royal Academy of Belgium. His fields of interest are atomic and molecular spectroscopy with applications in laser and plasma physics. In astrophysics, he has been involved in solar and stellar physics. Interested also by popularization of science, he has published more than 370 publications including 16 books.

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