ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the main essentials of the Mossbauer effect. Putting the Mossbauer effect to use depends on the small absolute value of linewidth rather than on the more general feature of small relative linewidth. Mossbauer spectroscopy has opened up new avenues in corrosion research allowing considerable insight into many important corrosion problems. Much work has also been done in the development of associated equipment which allows study of Mossbauer sources or absorbers at variable temperatures in an applied magnetic field or at high pressures. The simplest method of recording a Mossbauer spectrum is to move the source or the absorber at a constant velocity and to collect the numbers of counts measured for a fixed period at the various velocities as a function of the velocity. The application of the Mossbauer effect to biology is favoured mainly because one of the principal elements which shows a strong effect is iron.
