An instrument used to measure the intensity and the
wavelength distribution of the light emitted as
fluorescence from a molecule excited at a specific
wavelength or wavelengths within the absorption band of a particular compound. Characteristic
fluorescence bands may be used to identify specific pollutants such as the polynuclear aromatic
hydrocarbons. Excitation spectra of impurities can be observed by scanning the
wavelength of the excitation light which is incident on the sample over a range of wavelengths
and observing the relative intensity of the
fluorescence emitted at a given
wavelength. These spectra are also characteristic of the impurity.
Source:
PAC, 1990, 62, 2167
(Glossary of atmospheric chemistry terms (Recommendations 1990))
on page 2189
Cite as:
IUPAC. Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd ed. (the "Gold Book"). Compiled by
A. D. McNaught and A. Wilkinson. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford (1997).
XML on-line corrected version: http://goldbook.iupac.org (2006-) created by M. Nic,
J. Jirat, B. Kosata; updates compiled by A. Jenkins. ISBN 0-9678550-9-8.
https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.
