Patent ID: 8023618
Filing Date: 2011-09-20
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
1. A method of obtaining information about a nuclear species of interest in a target, comprising: a) illuminating the target with photons from a photon source, wherein the photons upon impact have an energy spectrum of a predetermined central energy and a predetermined range that overlaps a nuclear resonance of the nuclear species of interest in the target; b) providing at least one photon detector to measure an intensity of photons scattered by nuclear resonance fluorescence from at least a portion of the target in at least one energy channel; c) repeating steps a)-b) at least one time, wherein upon each repetition the photons have an energy spectrum upon impact of a different at least one of a predetermined central energy and a predetermined range; d) based at least in part upon a measured intensity of photons scattered from the at least a portion of the target in at least one energy channel, determining at least one of an apparent width of the nuclear resonance in the nuclear species of interest in the target and an apparent shift of a central energy of the nuclear resonance in the nuclear species of interest in the target; and e) based upon at least one of the apparent width of the nuclear resonance and the apparent shift of the central energy of the nuclear resonance in the nuclear species of interest in the target, determining an identity of a molecule or a crystal containing the nuclear species of interest in the target.