Background on BrightSpec’s MRR Technology
Molecular rotational spectroscopy has been used for decades in predominantly two fields, molecular structure research and astronomy. Physical chemists use the rotational spectrum as a means to study molecular structure of gas phase molecules and weakly bound complexes. The structures can be used to deduce bonding characteristics. Astronomers use the rotational spectrum as a means to study the composition of the interstellar medium (ISM) through high frequency radio telescopes. The rotational spectrum is the same for a gas in the ISM as it is in a terrestrial lab. Astrochemistry research has driven much of the analytical and technological advancement of millimeter/submillimeter rotational spectroscopy.