Mossbauer Effect

Name:
Mossbauer Effect
Detailed information:
A nuclear phenomenon discovered in 1957. Defined as the elastic (recoil-free) emission of a γ-particle by the nucleus of a radioactive isotope and the subsequent absorption (resonance scattering) of the particle by another atomic nucleus. Occurs in crystalline solids and glasses but not in liquids. Examples of γ-emitting isotopes are: iron-57, nickel-61, zinc-67, tin-119. The Mossbauer effect is used to obtain information on isomer shift, on vibrational properties and atomic motions in a solid, and on location of atoms within a complex molecule.