Rudolf Mossbauer

The Nobel Prize in Physics 1961
Nobel co-recipient: Robert Hofstadter

"for his researches concerning the resonance absorption of gamma radiation and his discovery in this connection of the effect which bears his name."

Eponyms

Mossbauer Spectroscopy

In 1958, Rudolf Ludwig Mossbauer, aged 29, published this discovery.

‘The technique of Mossbauer spectroscopy is widely used in mineralogy to examine the valence state of iron, which is found in nature as Fe0 (metal), Fe²⁺, and Fe³⁺, as well as the type of coordination polyhedron occupied by iron atoms (trigonal, tetrahedral, octahedral, etc.). It is sometimes used to determine redox ratios in glasses and (less successfully) in rocks. Mossbauer spectroscopy is also used to assist in the identification of Fe oxide phases on the basis of their magnetic properties.’ - M. Darby Dyar, Department of Astronomy, Mount Holyoke College.